Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Restitutor Orbis
by UnholyPens
Summary: In a world where resources are scarce, and fights between others are all too common, an Absol sets out on an adventure he never signed up for. Aside from the constant spikes of hunger and thirst, as well as the ever-dangerous Influxes, there lies one threat much greater than any before. Will he be able to survive in this unforgiving world, or will he go down with it?
1. Prologue: Dissension

**Prologue: Dissension**

* * *

The sun was close to sinking behind the horizon, its light spreading across the sky, coloring it a rainbow hue. Though there should have been much chattering between everyone, there was not. The large group of Pokémon moved all but swiftly over the dry, cracked ground of the endless desert. Leading the group was a large, blue four-armed beast who circled out front.

"Come on, you guys, kick it into high gear! We've only got a few hours left to arrive on time, and I'm sure you all are going to want to make it there in time so that you're guaranteed a place to stay!" the Machamp shouted, his deep voice reaching the ears of all but one Pokémon.

A dust-covered canine shook his pelage, or at least, what was left of it. His once-white fur was now nearly the same color as the ground he stood on, and it was falling out, leaving some places without anything there, his black skin showing. He solemnly dragged his claws on the ground, his head hung low, swaying a little due to a minuscule limp that he had for some time now.

This is what it had been like for months on end for the Absol: seek refuge in a camp, move to another camp, seek refuge once more, and so on. He had not much food or water, explaining the barely visible lines where his ribs showed through. The other refugees didn't exactly appreciate his presence either, so he had to carry on alone.

The Absol let out a rough sigh, and began thinking. _I don't know the last time I was ever this hungry_ or _thirsty. Actually... I've always been hungry and thirsty, it's just at its peak right now._ His stomach growled, making the Disaster Pokémon wince. _If anything, some food would be nice to come across. And not the normal stuff, like half-eaten scraps and expired items. I need fresh food, stuff that can supply me with desirable satisfaction. Perhaps I could find something when we arrive._

Attempting to shift his focus away from food, the Absol took a short look around him. The group seemed to be filled with people that all had their own problems with suffering, much like him. But to what extent? Were they as separated as he? Did they have the same troubles as him? Did they even have troubles? He shrugged. He couldn't be sure.

The Dark-type then let out a vehement huff. _I mean, yeah, we're all on the run, and I'm not sure how many of us know what we're running from, but there has to be something. Even then, at least we're getting food to eat. Or, at least, most of us are._

 _Aside from that, there has to be at least a few Pokémon here that have no troubles at all. That's just the way of life, so I've come to learn. But who they are? Different story. Could they be the ones that seek my discomfort? Could they just be putting up a mask of being weak and poor just to rise higher society? Nobody probably knows, sadly._

He shook his head in disappointment. _Well, whatever. It just seems that every time I transfer to a new one of these groups, it gets worse than the last one I was at._ _I mean, at first, the separation and making fun of me was like a joke to everyone, but now it's like it's become a routine. It's like they have a mental schedule where they make fun of me at least once a day. It really gets frustrating._

Just then, a Gengar appeared out of thin air above the group, causing everyone to pause and listen. Frowning, he said, "Alright, listen up you worthless fools. We're nearing our destination, so make sure that your scrawny asses are ready to get settled in. But, seeing as Influxes have become a major problem as of late, you should keep up whatever guard you can, in case we somehow get hit." With his message now delivered, he disappeared into thin air once more, allowing everyone to breathe once more.

The Disaster Pokémon looked to the sky while watching where he was going, to make sure he was not going to bump into anyone. _This whole fiasco... Why do I even go along with it, anyway? Do I truly believe that I am better off here than anywhere else? What is it that makes me desire to be within these groups? After all, I'm only treated like crap._

He shifted his gaze back down, and through the conglomeration of Pokémon in front of him, he was able to make out their destination—another refuge camp, looking quite different from all the others he had seen. He couldn't count how many he had been to in his life, but it was certainly a lot.

 _I can understand why they make these camps. But, even then, there's no way to know exactly where to put them, considering the danger of the Influxes._ The Absol's whole body shuddered at the thought of the occurrences. _Man,_ _I just can't believe how long I've been on the run. Ever since that fateful day..._

The Dark-type closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. _Bah, it doesn't matter anymore._ He opened his eyes, squinting in the dim sunlight. _I just wonder, though..._ _The name my parents gave me, it sounds so surreal to even me, it's been used so little over the years. I guess not having anyone worth sharing my name with doesn't help much._

For a few seconds he paused, reminiscing. _Pathos... I remember being called by that name only a few times before. Certainly not recently, but I guess that really doesn't matter, either. I mean, it's not like it needs to carry meaning with it now. After all, many of these people are probably nameless, so I fit in quite well._

Within a half hour more of walking, the group arrived at the camp, each member going through an attendance check. After that, they all scurried away to do their own thing. Pathos, on the other hand, was left out of it all.

After going through attendance, he looked around, hoping to locate what he was seeking. It took him a few minutes, but eventually the Absol found a suitable open space, he wandered off towards it.

Sitting down, he glanced off towards the sunset. It somehow had made him a little calmer each time he looked at it, but there were times were it had the complete opposite effect on him. He tended to isolate himself from the other Pokémon in the group, seeing as all hanging around them did was push him closer to the edge.

He closed his eyes once more and lay down. Sleep was about the only thing he could get on a daily basis, and on top of that, it was a nice comfort for him. It raised the walls around him, separating him from the horrible truth of the world.

However, no matter how much he tried to lock out the sounds around him, they managed to snake their way into his eardrums, rattling his mind. Frankly, it was driving him insane, and he wanted to find a way to make it end.

Growling, Pathos let light flow into his eyes once more. What was it with everyone that made them think disturbing him was alright? The only guess Pathos had was that they were in some way mentally deficient, but he couldn't be sure. All he knew was that most everyone here was most likely out to see him suffer.

"You know, I have been wondering just why you always stay away from everyone. Couldn't ever guess what exactly it was. Well, I suppose that doesn't matter," proclaimed a voice Pathos had never heard before. Shifting towards the direction it came from revealed its owner to be an approaching Shiftry.

"Oh, great, just what I needed..." The Absol bared his teeth at the Wicked Pokémon. "What do you want? I haven't done anything that would cause you to seek me out, right? You know, it would actually be much better for everyone if I was left alone, don't you think? Because I sure do."

"See? This is exactly what I'm getting at! Your hostility just turns everyone away, you know. Maybe if you opened yourself up a little more, you'd learn a little more about those that surround you," he said, making various gestures throughout.

Pathos viciously hissed in response. "And why should I lower my hostility? What good would it do me? If you knew what I've been through, if you by chance have any kind of sympathy within you, you'd realize why I am like this. But, let's be honest with each other, buddy. You don't really mean any of that, do you?"

The Dark-type snickered a little, shaking his head. "I mean, come on, you've got to try harder than that to even sound convincing in the slightest. I may not be that social or anything, but at least I have the decency to be outright. You, on the other hand, just like anyone I've met, mask your true intentions with a retarded façade, believing that you can get through my defenses. Well, as it has been made quite clear, I am not fooled. So take your shitty lies and get out of my sight, before either of us starts something _grand_."

"You—fine! Just know that you can no longer say that anyone hasn't tried to make peace! You've just now abandoned that right! And I guarantee you, it's going to come back to bite you in the ass, just you see!" With that, the Shiftry stomped off back towards the camp.

Pathos scoffed and said, "Yeah, sure. If it hasn't happened yet, there's no reason for it to happen now," and he simply returned to laying on the ground. His actions coming back to get him? Nonsense! The only things biting him in the ass were the annoying pricks that he traveled with, like that Shiftry.

His stomach roared at him, desiring for nourishment, causing him to flinch. "Ugh... I guess I'm in such need for food. So much for getting some rest." Pathos lifted himself off the ground. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look around for something to at least fill me up enough to last me another day," he said, weakly shaking some dust off and heading back to camp.

The nice thing about this certain encampment was that it had a mesh canopy above, which kept out enough of the sun for it to not be blistering hot, but also allowing some natural light to weave through the canopy, which was suspended by the supporting poles used for the tents, effectively using as little material as possible. But none of that really mattered to Pathos with his hunger. What he was looking for was a place that had an ample supply of food.

 _Come on, there should be a cafeteria around here, yeah? If not that, at least a food storage. After that, somewhere with water. A well? No, they can't have one, not out here..._ The Absol was profusely trying to come up with a decent plan, but he couldn't help but overhear what everyone was saying about him.

Under muffled whispers, he was able to make some of the things they were saying out. Amongst other things, he heard things like, "Wow, just look at that mess over there. How can he even bring himself to stand like that?"; "Arceus, what if he does something? Just look at his gaze! Surely he's plotting something!"; and, "Don't Absol bring disaster wherever they go? What if he calls a deadly storm upon us? What if he's brought... an Influx?"

That last sentence made him tense up, but he managed to hide it. Slightly stumbling, he managed to slowly leave that particular area, and leaned against a support pole, trying to catch his breath. _Why... Why would I ever want to do that...? Nobody wants that, not even_ _me._

Pathos managed to lower his breathing back to normal levels, and after a few more minutes of sitting to make sure nothing else was to come, he continued his search. Left and right, there were tents, and still no signs of where he could find food. It surely couldn't be that hard, could it?

It took him a while to realize it, but signs were sometimes hung on the support poles that gave directions where something was, although it was only when one was directly next to the destination of the signs. He found it rather pointless, but what did he know about setting these things up? For all he knew, they could be funded only by the leaders' allowances, and built by their hands.

Despite that fact, however, he could not for the life of him find where the food was at. Maybe it was not labeled to keep people from stealing some of the provisions, but that was no reason to not provide a location for the cafeteria. Food was an essential part of surviving, and so was water. So why, for the love of Arceus, could he not find either of those two things?

"Well, you sure do seem to be an intriguing someone," said a voice in the shadows between tents, causing Pathos to jump and face its owner, who turned out to be a Scrafty. "What're you looking for? Wealth? Food? Or even water? Cause I can give it to you, as long as you somehow manage to repay me for it."

Pathos almost laughed. "Are you serious? What is it with everyone and trying to make themselves out as generous? First that Shiftry guy, and now you? I'm going to tell you the same thing I did him: Take your shit and shove it so far up your ass that it doesn't reappear for the next ten years. You need to stop trying to gain prestige and find a real way to—"

Pathos was cut off as the Hoodlum Pokémon somehow produced an exceptionally delicious-looking berry. It was bulb-shaped, and was yellow with small orange dots scattered around its skin—a Sitrus berry.

The Disaster Pokémon was dumbfounded. How had he gotten his hands on such a rare item? Sitrus berries were essentially the single most rare food item around. That meant that the only place here to get that would have to be wherever the food was stashed.

"Where the hell did you get that?" Pathos demanded under an angry whisper. "I hope you know that just one of those is easily worth a fortune these days! For all I know, this establishment is the only place that would be able to have access to such an item." The Absol inched closer. "Tell me where you got it."

Pathos' adversary made a confused face, and lifted the berry up to eye level. "Oh, you want this, and possibly even the rest of what there could be? I totally understand that notion. However..." The Scrafty chuckled and tossed the fruit to the ground, where he stomped on it so hard its juices went everywhere. "I can't just let you demand of me whatever you want, that's just unacceptable. I thought we would be able to make good business, but I guess not."

As Pathos stood there in disbelief, the Fighting-type said, "You have no one to blame for this but yourself, Absol," and began to walk off, quietly snickering, but just enough for the Absol to hear him.

Pathos was stupefied. _There's no way that just happened, right? If I hit myself as hard as I can, I'm going to wake up, and he will still be standing there, berry in hand..._ However, he knew the truth. That Scrafty had just wasted easily the most precious piece of food he ever had the chance to have, and it was ripped away right in front of him. He looked over in the direction the Hoodlum Pokémon. They were simply strolling off, and Pathos knew he was grinning. Well, if that was how he wanted to play, then Pathos would play that game too.

"Hey, hold on!" The Scrafty looked back, his attention having been grabbed by the Disaster Pokémon's sudden voicing. "Come back over here, I think that maybe my reaction was a little short-sighted. Let's try that again," he said, plotting his course of action.

Pathos' adversary slowly turned and made his way back, swaying his walk. When the Scrafty had made his way back over, he voiced, "Alright, let's hear it, your proposal. Come on, now, don't be shy."

Pathos walked closer, staring intently at the Hoodlum Pokémon. At this point, he no longer cared what happened, he just wanted to get it over with, and so, Pathos shot him a grin in response. "Oh, I've got an offer that you can't refuse."

Pathos lunged forward, baring his teeth. The Scrafty jumped back in surprise, but had no time to pause as he was under attack, ducking as Pathos launched himself at the Hoodlum Pokémon's head. "What the hell? Now what's your problem?!" he questioned, a little bit of fear present in his voice.

The Dark-type hissed. "What else would my problem be? You just demolished perfectly good food, and _costly_ stuff at that! I'm over here starving and desiring to quench my thirst, and you're just juggling my emotions around like it's some game! You can't just show someone the one ting they want in life, and then take it away before their very eyes! It's not right, and we both know it."

"Yeah? Well, just because it's _morally_ wrong, doesn't mean I can't do it! Because you know what it's called? _Business!_ Sometimes, to make a profit, you have to go against morals, just so you can benefit from what you're doing!" he said in response, getting into a fighting stance.

"What, so you think _destroying_ your merchandise, wherever you got it, is business? If you ask me, that's not making money, that's _losing the potential to make money_. So do yourself a favor and stop your 'business', and start helping people out for real!" Pathos retorted angrily.

"Well, look at you! You're not even heeding your own advice. You're telling me to help others, but you're doing the exact opposite! You're over here stuck in a bout with me! So why don't you do _yourself_ a favor, and leave me alone while I do whatever it is I want to do?" the Scrafty responded soon after, also circling around Pathos.

"And so what? Right now what matters is not that I'm not listening to my own words, rather, the fact that _you_ didn't! I'm trying to survive, and you're over here just taking away what I need to do so! I'm _starving_ and I'm _thirsty_. I'm fairly sure that you have those same problems at times too. If so, put a little empathy into your actions and do something right!" Pathos finished off, lurching forward unexpectedly, raking his claws against the chest of the Fighting-type, drawing small lines of blood in the process.

Surprised, the Scrafty stepped back and patted a hand on his chest and brought it in front of his face to reveal a now blood-covered palm, causing his expression to change to one of of disbelief. "Why you..." In his own act of revenge, he lurched forward, trying to land a good punch to the ribs. However, Pathos wasn't having it, and he dodged swiftly, even in his condition.

Huffing, Pathos was concentrating on more than just the fight. _I... I haven't felt this much power flowing through my body since... Well, forever. I suppose it may be adrenaline rushing through my body, or something else. Whatever it is, taking hits will still be an issue, no matter what I may do. I need to be careful._

By now, a bit of a crowd had formed, wondering what the ruckus was, with Pathos' yelling, the now very audible grunts the two opponents made, and the sounds of their quick shuffling from their duel.

"You know," the Scrafty said through short breaths and swift dodges of oncoming attacks, "I really thought you had made the decision to make a nice deal with me, but I guess I was wrong about you. I suppose that's just one more thing to add to the list about Absol: they're liars."

What gall he had, to not only deprive him of nutrition, but to also further insult him! That was practically signing his will off! Now fuming, Pathos no longer felt the need to respond, only attack. Quickly dashing around his foe, he managed to catch him off guard with a quick slash from his blade, causing the Scrafty to emit a shriek of pain.

Growling, the Hoodlum Pokémon rapidly turned clockwise and successfully landed a blow with his elbow to the side of the Absol's head, sending him flying. Pathos managed to right himself before he slammed into a nearby spectator, and returned to his fight, although a little disorientated.

A tar-black energy gathered around Pathos' scythe, a low hum present with it. The energy drew iteslf mostly near the edges of his blade, and even extended another foot and a half, creating the illusion of the edge now being nearly three times as long. While it was building that up, the Absol had to evade the merciless punches and kicks thrown at him. He even had to dodge the Scrafty trying to latch on to his leg with his teeth.

When he was in a suitable position, Pathos turned his head to the right, leaned his head back, and charged after his adversary. When he was up close, with a heave and a ho, he whipped his head to the side, launching his Night Slash at the Scrafty's defending arms, cutting deep, bringing forth a disturbing hiss.

Despite his obvious pain, the Scrafty flashed a grin and taunted Pathos. "Just look at you! You're struggling to even use a built-in weapon of defense! If you can't even so much as do that, then why are you trying?" He shoved the Dark-type off of him and readied himself for assault once more.

The malicious comment, however, was left unheard by the Absol. He was too focused on creating a good plan of attack. _Where do I even start? He has the advantage over me, and he's obviously in much better health than I. In better shape, as well. He seems to have some kind of strategy worked out as well. This is, in a way, primarily a one-sided fight._

Due to his incessant thinking, the Scrafty managed to disappear from sight without Pathos knowing. Astonished, the Absol looked around, canning the crowd for his position. "Where did he...?" Pathos managed to voice before feeling something crash into his left side, burst it into excruciating amounts of pain, sending him flying and into the onlookers, knocking a multitude of them over.

The Abosl groaned, trying to get a grasp of his situation. He pushed himself up and away from the Pokémon he had fallen on, and ignored their angry cries. Pathos couldn't be sure, but his right side felt... different. It didn't exactly hurt, but it didn't feel normal, either. He figured it wasn't that large of a problem, and trotted back onto the battlefield, only to be briskly greeted by the Scrafty charging at him with his hand drawn back, ready to chop down upon its prey. However, Pathos just barely managed to dodge the stray Brick Break, but when he tried to retaliate with his own attack from the right, his ribs exploded in agony, and he keeled over in pain.

"Arceus..." Pathos voiced before rolling out of the way of a swift stomp, albeit not without excruciating pain. In a prompt bout of energy, Pathos kicked the Fighting-type's legs out from under him, causing him to fall face-first into the dirt. He quickly righted himself, seething with hatred for the Absol.

By now, there was more than a a crowd, far from it. It seemed like hundreds had come to witness the fight that started when the Absol had finally snapped. Many cheered on either side, but many also shared hushed whispers, all of which could not be heard over even the slightest sound, due to both combatants' high awareness of their surroundings.

"You know, had you never smashed that delectable item, this never would have happened! But what did you do? You _crushed_ it to smithereens, yet you're still able to get up and walk away like nothing happened?" Pathos said, ignoring what his body said and launched forward again, managing to rake the backside of the Scrafty.

Through muffled cursing, he managed to reply, "Why wouldn't I? Unlike you, I have the strength to accept the truth and walk away! I realize that things have been done, and can't be undone! I've _accepted_ my actions with courage!"

"But at what cost?! Yes, I do not accept that it has been done, but that does not lessen the fact that you destroyed something valuable, and not just to me! Once again, I have my reasons. Being hungry, thirst, whatever. Just because it's part of your 'business', doesn't mean I should just lie down and deal with it!"

Pathos was getting extremely aggravated with his foe at this point. He just would not stop his incessant fulminations about how it was "business", and that it was all part of making a profit. He didn't care about all that.

Crepuscular energy began to collect once more around his blade. This time, however, instead of letting it collect entirely, he charged straight for the Scrafty. The pain in his side... he could still feel its presence, but he no longer reacted to its physical drawbacks, like it was being numbed by some ethereal force.

He shook his head, bringing himself back to reality. However, it was then that he realized that he let his emotions get the best of him once more, and before he could respond in time, the Hooldum Pokémon landed a clean Brick Break to the back of his left rear leg. He could hear the sickening _crack_ released by his leg, but he felt little to none of the pain. He wasn't complaining, but in the end, it was a disability.

Whether he could feel it or not, Pathos knew that he was visibly crippled. He wondered just how in the world the odds could be turned in his favor. _Well, if this has truly become my final hour, then I'm going to put up one hell of a fight, even more than I already have!_

With some difficulty, he managed to ignore his body's pleas to stop and balanced on his front left and rear right legs, and waited for his opponent to close in, seeking the absolute perfect moment to strike, be it expected or unexpected.

"Come on, man, just look at your current condition," the Scrafty proclaimed, making a gesture that encompassed the present situation. "You're losing. Nobody is rooting for you anymore, if they ever were. I've had a great time during our fight, but I don't particularly think this should go on any longer. So, just do us a favor and let me end this."

Pathos closed his eyes and took in and let out breaths of air slowly, knowing that it was all-in or all-out. He heard the Fighting-type approach slowly, the audience quiet with suspense, wondering if this was truly the end for the Disaster Pokémon.

As soon as he heard his adversary raise his foot high in the air, ready to crush the Absol to the ground, Pathos nailed the Scrafty in the gut as hard as he could with the Stygian energy that quickly clouded his paw, causing the Hoodlum Pokémon to hunch over and dry heave. The Disaster Pokémon grinned, gleeful that his Sucker Punch had worked.

Finally grasping his chance, Pathos continued his fresh assault by ramming his foe backwards and onto the ground. He was done actively thinking during the fight. Right now, all that mattered to him was finishing the fight. To do so, he initiated another Night Slash, and cut diagonally from top right to bottom left, leaving a large gash in the chest of the Scrafty.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you idiot? Get off!" the Scrafty exclaimed, struggling against the Absol, but to no avail. Pathos had him pinned down, and was not planning on letting him have the upper hand.

With his position now secure, the Absol continued his onslaught. For a good few seconds, the Absol mauled his foes face, leaving cuts on either side. Pathos felt so alive in that moment... The satisfaction finally getting to fight back against his oppressors.

The Scrafty grimaced, and scanned for an opening to do something, anything. When he found one, he jabbed the Dark-type's underside, provoking him to hunch over and move off to the side, allowing the Fighting-type to get on his feet again.

By this time, Pathos was getting exhausted, and was looking for ways to end the conflict quickly. He searched and searched for an aperture in his adversary's defenses. When he finally found one, he said, "Look this is getting to go on for a bit too long for my liking, so let's end this, just like you wanted!"

Pathos was about to rush forward and deliver his last attack when a rough voice boomed, startling anyone within the premise. "Is that all, Absol? Is that the last of your words to him? Whether it is or not, I would absolutely _love_ to hear more about your plans. Please, go on. I'm waiting."

The Dark-type whipped his head around to pick out whoever it was that spoke up, but instantly recalled the thought when he laid eyes on the towering behemoth in front of him. The creature had dark splotches scattered about, those being the only things visible beneath a tough green hide that acted as armor. The Pokémon's crimson gaze looked over those gathered. "A bit of a show you've created here, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to interrupt your final cut."

The Tyranitar absentmindedly shoved various onlookers out of the way to approach Pathos. "All of you, leave at once before I have someone take care of you for me," he proclaimed, the audience universally agreeing and dispersing, including the now terrified Scrafty that Pathos was fighting, which he was not happy about.

The Disaster Pokémon glared up at the Armor Pokémon. Why was it that whenever something was finally going in his favor, someone had to come right in to ruin it? In an attempt to find out, he said, "What do you want? I was only going to give this guy what he—"

"You were going to give him what? What he deserves? What does that mean to you? Finishing him off? Paralyzing him? Disabling one of his legs? Just look at the poor bastard! He's bleeding from his chest and looks like he's about to pass out from nausea. If anything, you've done more damage here than he has."

"Are you kidding me?! Even _you_ _'re_ on his side? He stole food from somewhere—valuable grub, at that—and outright destroyed it! Anyone could have enjoyed the meal with grace, and yet he obliterated it. Look around you! We're in the middle of fucking _nowhere_ , and you want me to calm down about losing the one thing I could have gotten to eat after three days of starvation?" Pathos retorted in vexation.

"Is that your reason for attacking him? _Stealing_? Just look at yourself! You look like a skeleton wearing skin! You're telling me that _you_ haven't ever stolen anything? And even then, you were willing to actually take the stolen item and eat it!" He shook his head in disappointment. "I understand that you're mad at him. But for Arceus' sake, don't take it so far as to make the guy regret even being born. You're acting like everyone is against you, but just think about it: maybe it's your _personality_ that is the reason they hate you."

Pathos was furious, but not only because of the Tyranitar's claims. His body was exiting fight-or-flight, and it wa sjust now sinking in how his decisions weighed in. nevertheless, he was still mad at everything that had occurred.

Despite it all, he managed to say, "And what makes you think you can understand me at a passing glance?! We have problems, yeah. But has anyone you met ever been denied even a peaceful thought their whole life?"

The Rock-type closed his eyes and huffed. "Then learn to change the opinion of others. You're just hiding in some kind of cocoon, wondering just why you're treated like some kind of bandit. Get out and make a reputation for yourself!" He turned and let out a deep sigh.

"But even then... As the leader of this complex, I can rightfully say that you have now become a threat to the safety of the many others seeking refuge here. So, do _me_ a favor and _leave_. _Now_."

Pathos couldn't help but laugh. He walked away a few steps, and faced the Tyranitar with a skeptical look, disregarding the fact that he was the one in charge. "You're joking. You said it yourself, I'm a skeleton given skin. I need nourishment. You can't say that and then deny me the one thing I desire."

He shook his head, moving away slightly and turning his back to the Disaster Pokémon. "Well, I do apologize, _Absol_. But as I said, you are now a threat to everyone here. I can no longer keep you safe in this haven. So, I'm going to tell you _one_ more time: _leave_."

"Look, I may go through tons of pain travelling through the lands in these groups, but at least I have a way of getting food and water that way. You expect me to leave that behind and just walk away? Do you not understand the severity of such an action?"

The Tyranitar turned around, his face no longer exhibiting mercy. "Yes, I do quite understand. And that is why I'm sending someone like _you_ out there, to _learn_. So leave now, or else I will have to get serious and do it _myself_."

"And what makes you think that I'm going to just up and go? As I've already said, I'm not leaving, at least not until I'm given an ample supply of provisions to take with me. so if you'd be so kind as to—"

The Armor Pokémon interrupted him by stomping over, and clasping around the Dark-type's throat and lifting him several feet into the air. "Listen here, and listen well. I've told you that I am the leader of this place, and that means any order I give to one of you worthless piles is absolute. But you certainly are one rebellious fella, yeah? Then that means I shall treat you as such."

Pathos struggled as much as he could to get out of the hands of the Tyranitar, but it was too much for him. "Look at you, you're one step closer to becoming me, aren't you? You're here strangling me, much like something I could have done to that Scrafty!"

The Rock-type gave off a low growl. "Oh, so you want to be smart with me, eh? I might need to start writing down all the things you're doing, to make sure nobody does it again!" He threw the Disaster Pokémon to the ground so hard Pathos heard multiple cracks originating from his body, sending spikes of pain throughout his body, causing him to yell in agony.

"I want you to examine yourself some more, and I want you to do it well. You're in desperate need of an attitude adjustment, and it shows fairly well. I'm making sure it happens." he stomped ever closer to the Absol, who was now forcing himself to suck up the pain and get a move on to evade any attacks.

 _This pain is so damn excruciating, but anything like this would be far easier to take than a direct hit from_ this _guy. Probably three good hits from him and I'd be done for. I need to force myself to live with the pain and get away from him, as soon as possible._

"Look, I don't want to be the one to tell you this, but the world is full of idiotic fools who have nothing but hatred to share with others! I can tell you from experience! But, looking at you, I suppose that you're one of them, yeah?" Pathos called back while scampering weakly away from his opponent.

"If that is what you believe, then sure. But I've already told you that I'm ensuring the safety of those present, which obviously conveys the fact that, hey, what do you know, _I'm not the bad guy_ ," the Armor Pokémon replied. He sprinted forward and tried to slam Pathos into the ground with a powerful fist, but moving against his pain, Pathos jumped out of the way.

So, here he was. Broken ribs, a very likely broken rear left leg, and maybe even more broken than just that, and on top of that, he was being chased by a Tyranitar. He felt miserable, like he would shatter to pieces if he so much as fell over.

"Will you just stand down?! You still need to learn the bigger picture. It's not all just you, you, you! Give yourself the taste of defeat, and look into it, figure out what it means to be defeated, take it from me!" the Armor Pokémon voiced.

Once more the Tyranitar shot a fist down towards Pathos, who miraculously managed to dodge once more. However, he was not unharmed, for a piece of shrapnel from the ground lodged itself into Pathos' left side. Once more he yelled in pain. Never had he thought he would deal with so much pain at once. However, despite this, his body was engaging its hormones once more, and pain was dwindling, but it wasn't as stable as before; he was losing energy.

"Don't do this to yourself! You have the choice to make it easier on yourself, yet you deny it and take the hard path. Why is that? No matter how much I think about it, I cannot come up with an acceptable reason as to why," the Absol's foe inquired.

Huffing, Pathos weakly managed to spout an answer. "It's not that I _chose_ to take the hard road! I've already told you! What is it about being mistreated from the very start that you don't grasp? I never _wanted_ it to be this way!" Pathos pathetically shot himself at the Tyranitar and attempted to hit him with a Night Slash.

However, he wasn't thrilled, and nonchalantly caught the blade in his hand. He towered over the Absol and said, "Do you not realize it yet? You're losing this fight. You may have confidence in yourself now after what happened previously, but there's a broad line between you and me." The Rock-type grabbed Pathos' blade and threw him down the path. When the Absol landed on the ground and skidded for a few feet, causing him to falter in his movements afterwards.

For a while after, the Tyranitar continued to push the Absol down multiple corridors and paths, sometimes even through tents, until they neared the outside. Pathos was aching all over by now; he not only had to deal with his previous injuries, he also had to bear the pain of his new ones, as well as the fact his body was no longer providing him with the supply of adrenaline that he needed.

When Pathos emerged outside, he paid no heed, and simply kept his focus on the Tyranitar, waiting for his foe's next move. However, after about a minute of waiting, the Rock-type just stood there.

The Disaster Pokémon was confused. Why was he just standing there? Why wasn't he showing his extreme bloodlust from before? "Come on, what are you waiting for? I'm right here, in the open for you to deal with! So why not take your chance?"

He lowered his head and shook it slowly. "I'm sparing you." He turned around, hunching over, his tail swaying a little. "Have you not seen it yet? Get out there. Make something out of yourself. Take on a new lifestyle. Do whatever you like. Don't beg for freedom, work for it. I mean, come on, you have suffered a lot from staying here, that much is obvious. Me fighting you should have stood for what you will experience if you decide to stay here." He turned around, tilting his head. "What's your name?"

Pathos had to sit and take in all the information he had just been given before he could answer. Him? Spared? Why? What did he mean by making something of himself? Surely there was no way of doing that! And how could he take on a new lifestyle if this is all he's known? It was all very foreign to him, and it was obvious that the Tyranitar wasn't going to give him the answers. But why was he interested in his name? When he thought about it, though, it really didn't matter. His name carried little meaning, so he figured it wouldn't hurt. "P-Pathos."

The Tyranitar nodded briefly. "Interesting name, Pathos. I'll be sure to keep that one logged in my mind." Again, he made an about-face, but this time, he began to make his way down the hall. Before leaving from sight, he paused to say one more thing. "Basileus, if you ever need it." After that, he disappeared into the dark, leaving Pathos outside alone, his only company being his pain.

Pathos just wasn't sure how much time had passed since he began to fight with the Scrafty. His injuries made it feel like it was only five minutes, but the experience made it feel like a few hours.

He groaned as he thought, _Right, my injuries... I've got something lodged into my right side, most likely some broken ribs on the left, I'm entirely unsure what's going on with my left rear leg, but that's probably broken as well. My head is throbbing, and my back aches, among other things. But, despite all of that, I need to push forward, find somewhere to go, or, if only to get away, wander with slim hopes of locating something of importance. Influxes are, horrifyingly, a worry I need to keep in mind. However, I cannot pay heed to that if I wish to keep going._

With his new mission in mind, he meekly stood up, and chose a random direction to wander in, and made off, a strong limp affixed to his stride, and occasionally cringing at the movement of his left side and rear leg. With a new goal in mind, he attempted to push forth once more, and try to find new residence.

However, after a few hours of mindless travel, he began to feel slightly weak. But, he simply brushed it off as him needing rest, as he felt tired. He walked more, and it got worse, until he deicded that despite where he was, he would lay down and get some rest.

And so, he sat there, looking up into the now night sky, wondering what he would wake up to the next day, or even the day after, he wasn't sure. He lay down, resting his head on the ground. In due time, he figured, he would finally find somewhere to settle.

* * *

 _"Man cannot remake himself without suffering, for he is both the marble and the sculptor."_ **\- Alexis Carrel**


	2. Chapter 1: Alteration

**Chapter I: Alteration**

* * *

When the Absol woke up, he felt himself breathing heavily, and quickly at that, as well as his whole body trembling. Quickly, he shot up, scanning his surroundings, in an attempt to calm himself, to assure that he was fine. But instead of the hard desert dirt that went on for miles that he expected to see, he instead spotted the inner wall of some kind of tent. He was suspended off the ground on some kind of bed. It was then that all the memories of his previous experience flooded back, the fight with the Scrafty, Basileus, and much more, bringing upon him remorse.

However, said remorse ended rather shortly when he was confused even more by the Slowking situated in a chair over by a desk, tinkering with some things. On this desk sat a plethora of different items, ranging from bottles to bags to bandages even. But despite that, just who was this mysterious figure? In fact, just what happened to the Absol? Why was he here?

The Royal Pokémon tilted its head, setting down what it was holding. It then turned towards Pathos, and when they noticed he was up, they smiled. "Ah... So you have finally come around, have you?" said the Slowking in a deep yet slow voice that dragged on forever.

Pathos was still dazed from the whole situation, as well as still being frightened from his abrupt awakening, but managed to get out a response. "But... what...? Why am I in this place? And where am I? Last I remember I was stuck out in the desert..." He looked up at the Water-type. "Did you bring me here?"

"One question at a time, please." The Slowking pulled his chair out more so he could sit down. "You're in my residence within a town here somewhere in this desert for medical treatment, since you were found lying unconscious with multiple injuries. It seems to me that when you were found you may have been out for say, oh, a day at most. But for how long you've been out since you were found? Arceus, it's had to have been about three or four days."

He leisurely shook his head. "But, to answer your last question, no, I'm afraid that it was not I that brought you here. I simply helped you out of your previous condition. Several cracked ribs, a fractured rear leg, several bruises here and there, missing patches of fur, severe deprivation of nutrients, and near-dehydration. You were pretty roughed up. Just what exactly happened to you?"

Pathos took a moment to examine his body after what was said. He certainly felt slightly better, though he could still feel the pain in his sides and his rear leg. "What happened...?" he voiced, his voice quavering when he realized something.

"Wait, why should I even tell you? I have no reason to trust anyone here, if there is anyone!" The Disaster Pokémon proceeded to try and lift himself off the cot, only to find that his body refused to be strained much more.

"Arceus, just sit still! Just because I treated you doesn't mean that you're A-OK to go!" The Slowking lowered his voice. "And look, you don't need to trust me. It was just a simple question. No need to say anything if it does not matter much, alright? I'm simply taking care of you for the time being. Let yourself heal, and I can let you go."

Pathos groaned, and fell back onto the mattress. "Great, just what I need... Well, whatever. Do you have anything for me to eat? Actually, what about some water? With an enclosure like this, you surely have some somewhere."

He looked thoughtful at that. "Well, I'm sure she'll be returning here with supplies shortly. She's been out for some time now. I wonder just what it is that's taking her so long to do," he voiced, trailing off slowly.

"Who...?" the Dark-type asked, confused once more. _What on earth is happening here? First I wake up in some weird tent instead of out in the desert, then I meet... this guy, and now he goes on and says things that leave me completely out of the loop!_

Pathos shook his head, and decided to try and find some things out. After all, it would do him no good to sit and wonder. "So... just how much longer will I be here, do you think? A day? A month? What will it be?"

The Slowking scratched his chin. "How long...? Well, I'm not entirely sure, given all the work I've done and however it is that you may heal. I'm estimating a good week at least. Maybe less, maybe more, I can't be sure."

The Absol let out a sharp groan. "Oh, wonderful. At least tell me that I won't be freaking laying here the whole time, right? You won't make me sit here endlessly, to the point where it bores me to death?"

The Royal Pokémon huffed vehemently. "As I said, you cannot just get up and go as you please. However, to answer your question, yes, at some point, you'll have that ability. Just sit tight and listen to me, and we can get there."

Pathos was about to go on and ask yet another question to further his investigation, when a peculiar voice weaved its way inside the tent from outside, catching the attention of both Pokémon.

"Vadimas, are you here? I'm finally back! I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long!" The tender tone brought confusion upon the Absol once more, but it brought a look of glee to the face of the Water-type.

A lavender-furred feline with a split tail walked in through the entrance of the marquee, who Pathos assumed to be the owner of the voice. She was dragging a small sled behind her that was covered by a small cloth.

The Espeon was about to make conversation with Vadimas, who Pathos now knew was the Slowking, when she saw the Absol on the bed, and beamed at him the brightest smile he had ever seen, and released the sled while she made her way over.

"Oh, I'm so glad to see you awake, finally! When found you passed out in the desert, I was terrified that you may have already kicked the bucket, but when I felt a small pulse, I rushed you back here as soon as possible. But since you hadn't even stirred in the least for the last three days, I began to lose hope. It was made even worse for me when Vadimas told me about your injuries. Broken bones, dehydration and starvation, many bruises... I was getting really down. It really makes me happy that you made it through that whole experience," she exclaimed, so happy that she seemed like was about to start leaping around the room.

Pathos was left with so much information to take in, but the impulsive Espeon didn't seem to notice. "The name's Celestine, by the way. If you didn't know, I'm the one who found you out there. I was simply out for one of my strolls one morning, and I miraculously came across you. Had I not done so, you probably would have never seen the light of day again, you know that?"

To say the least, he was astonished. Not only was there so much to receive, but as for the parts he did catch... Was _she_ concerned for _him_? And even then, why would anyone in their right mind see an Absol passed out in the desert and want to save their hide? But... Pathos could hear the sincerity in her voice so much that it actually hurt.

"But... look at me! Why am I worth any more than anyone else you could rescue me! The Slowking said it himself, I was _broken_. In other words, _useless_. What right does anyone have to try saving someone like that, much less like me?" the Disaster Pokémon nearly shouted, taking Celestine aback. "When you take one good look at me, just what is it that you see? What is it that makes you think I'm worth the time and effort?"

For a few excruciating moments, no one said a thing. Pathos thought he could hear her stifling a sniffle, but brushed it off. When the Espeon opened her mouth to say something, she hesitated for a few moments, before she finally managed. "Well, despite all that, I guess you probably _are_ really hungry and thirsty after all this, right? So, I mean, I've gathered all I could find..."

Celestine walked over to the sled, and yanked it over, and uncovered it, revealing a vast selection of berries, apples, etc. It didn't even register with Pathos at first what had happened: she had brought _him_ resources to further his survival. She had cared enough to not only retrieve him from the desert, but to also support him and seek his betterment.

Baffled, his eyes darted back and forth between the provisions and the Sun Pokémon. He was trying to wrap his brain around this series of events. He no longer bothered with thoughts and questions about the Slowking, or his position, or his condition. Right now, he was looking at someone unlike everyone else, possibly the only person to have ever cared enough to get closer than a few feet.

He nearly collapsed on the bed right then and there. Pathos began to huff stiffly, his mind racing. _This... these... emotions... what do they mean? What's going on? My chest feels tight, and I can't think straight. And despite all that, what is going on here? Why is she doing this? Why did Vadimas help me out as well?_

The Espeon tilted her head. "Um... is everything alright?" she asked, inching closer, Vadimas doing the same. However, as the Slowking went to rest a hand on his back, Pathos whipped his head around and growled, giving him second thoughts.

"Just... leave me alone, alright? I didn't ask for this, and I most certainly do not deserve this. Do whatever it is you need to do to me, but I'm leaving right after that," he stated harshly, hearing the two back off slightly.

Pathos laid down on the bed with his back to the two. He was able to make out muffled whispers between them, but didn't care enough to listen. However, he swore he could have heard Celestine release a dejected sigh before walking out.

The Dark-type breathed, already disliking where this was all leading. _Well, let's recap... Wake up in weird tent, meet weird people, meet super nice person who saved me, and rejected help. But, what other choice would I have had? Who would I be to accept help that is not necessary?_ He closed his eyes, wishing it was all a dream. It was going to be a long time waiting for his release, he could tell.

* * *

The next day, he was awakened by the sound of rustling, which originated from Vadimas' desk. At first, Pathos shrugged it off as nothing, but as the sound became more and more obnoxious, his patience was wearing thin.

"Who is it?" he demanded, hearing a startled gasp. After he did not get an answer after a few seconds, he asked again, "Who is it?" This time, he heard the familiar serene tone that belonged to Celestine.

"O-oh, hey... I was just asked by Vadimas to come inn and get something for him, but I'm having troubles locating it. Sorry if I happened to stir you," she muttered shyly.

Pathos simply groaned and turned to face her. "Where is he anyways? I figured he would have been here soon, but maybe not. I just want to talk to him is all," he asked, trying his best to not eye the sled of food that was still in its position from the night before.

She looked thoughtful. "Well, he seemed to be a little rushed at the moment, so he could have wandered off. Nevertheless, he could still be there. But despite all that, he said just yesterday that you couldn't get up, right? So just lay there, you'll be fine."

He hissed, but said, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll sit here and wait, if that's what it takes. Just make sure to tell him that I have something to ask him," eliciting a nod from her. When she went to leave the tent, he felt the urge to say something, but held it back. He would wait until later, he decided.

Right now, his mind was most focused on the fare that sat on the ground, waiting to be ingested. Should he really take such a large amount of food? Did he in any way actually have a right to do so? He couldn't figure it out, but decided against it, and slowly got down from his suspended position, moving very carefully, to be sure that he did not injure himself, which was a difficult task in itself. Just sitting up he could still feel things not situate well within him.

When he somehow made it down, it felt weird to feel the dirt under his feet once again, even if he had been unconscious for only a few days, and only awake for a whole day. Despite that, he still felt the need to rest more, and promised himself he would do some more after this.

He meekly limped over to the small drag, and inspected its contents now that he could see all the details. There were at least a few dozen berries, and about a dozen apples there. He couldn't see anything that was not fruit, but it didn't bother him, since it was food, and he was hungry.

Tossing away his inhibition, he picked up a round blue berry—an Oran berry. He hesitated slightly before biting down on the fruit, only to find its outer casing to be a lot harder than he imagined. Pathos strained himself to crush it, but managed to crack its shell. When he did, though, a rush of flavor like he had never tasted before flooded his mouth. He could only sit there and take in the deliciousness that had invaded his mind and body, a flow of revitalization resounding within him.

It was hard for the Absol to believe that such an incredible thing existed. Where had Celestine even gotten the food? It made no sense that she could have just absentmindedly picked it up off the ground, and even if she bought it from someone, where would they have gotten it? He supposed it didn't matter, but he would still like an answer to that question.

After a bit of eating, he decided to finish off as much as he could. He tried to find a way to haul it up onto the mattress, but found himself able to do so. He didn't think he would have been able to do it in full health, either.

"I really don't think you should be moving around quite yet," he heard Celestine say, nearly making him jump and whip to face her. She had been sneaking up on him a bit today and the day before, and it didn't sit well with him. "Nevertheless, would you mind if I gave you a hand? You seem to be struggling."

He turned to face her, and let off a low growl. "Th-the least you could do is not sneak up on me like that, maybe notify me or something." He turned his back to her once more, and started to toss individual berries and apples onto the bed. "But, I mean, if it makes you happy, then yes, I would like some help."

The Sun Pokémon walked over to Pathos. She began to lift the sled up via telekinesis, surrounding it in a faint blue tint. When she laid it down on the mattress, Pathos then tried to slowly rose himself up onto the bed, but had a few troubles, and Celestine helped him back up.

"So... um... thanks for helping me," he said to her, eliciting a smile and a nod. "I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to do. I don't feel like sitting around here for days upon days, but I don't necessarily want to leave, either, if only for the bed and food. It certainly is a nice thing to have."

Celestine sat down below, and looked up at the Absol. "...If I may ask, why were you out in the desert passed out? What caused you to be there? I just find it odd that you'd just be out there on your own free will," she asked, somewhat confusing Pathos.

"I... look, is this really a necessary thing to know? I mean, why would you care in the first place? I've already asked you a question like that, but you seemed to skim over it. I don't even have any reason to tell you about my situation."

Despite the rather hurt look on the Espeon's face that sent a sliver of guilt through Pathos, she said, "Well, I'm not entirely sure. I suppose you only just met me, and there isn't much to build trust on. And, I never answered you because, well... I was caught off guard. I'm still unsure about what to say. So, I'm sorry I can't answer your question from yesterday. But even then, couldn't you at least _try_ and give us a chance?"

The Disaster Pokémon let out a deep groan. "But that's not my point. Even if I did trust you somehow, what reason would I have to tell you? If I say it's personal, then you should accept that and move on!"

She shook her head stubbornly. "Notwithstanding, it would still be at least halfway nice of you to tell me or Vadimas. You are certainly a little intriguing, but mainly for me, since I just cannot figure out why someone would be out there, given how harsh everything is. So, allow me to ask again. Why were you out there, all busted up?"

Pathos stifled a bit of a hiss, and looked at her. _Would there be any harm in telling her? I suppose the logical thing to do would be to at least say something, but what if bites me in the ass later?_ He paused a bit more, still looking at her. Could he trust her?

Silently regretting his choice, he shook his head and said, "Well... I _was_ part of a refugee group up until that point. I'm not sure if you've ever heard of these groups, but they're supposedly meant for helping out those who have been struck by some kind of misfortune, be it disaster, famine, or just outright desertion, among other things." He shook his head. "Anyways, that's not the point, though. See, I got into a bit of a... tangle, and it didn't turn out so well. One thing lead to another, and I ended up out there, quite helpless."

Celestine tilted her head and looked up in thought. After she stayed silent for a little bit, she nodded. "Yeah, alright. I guess I don't have any reason to dig any further, as nice as it would be to hear more. From what it seems, you are a bit of a traveler, yeah?"

"I suppose you could call me that, though I prefer the term 'goes-wherever-he-feels'. But yes, traveler works as well," Pathos said in a somewhat distraught tone.

She nodded her head rapidly, and stood up. "Well, allow me to apologize for keeping you like this for so long. I'm sure you probably want some time alone, and seeing as I do have a few things to do on my end, I need to leave for the time being. Though, I really do enjoy talking with you. You're definitely not like anyone I've known, and that makes it interesting."

The Sun Pokémon stretched a little and then made her way over to the exit. She paused, and turned her head back. "Just remember, keep resting, and you'll be free to do what you want soon. There's no need for you to be in such a rush, so just relax a little, you'll be fine!" She turned and said, "Just hang tight, things will smooth out soon enough, I'm sure," and then left, taking the vibrant mood with her.

When he was finally sure he was alone once more, Pathos let out a breath, and looked over at the tray of food sitting next to him. It instantly reminded him of her. She most certainly seemed to be very caring and kind, but how far did that go? Was it a facade? How could he be sure? He had so many questions, and it hurt his brain to think about it.

Pathos decided to put aside all his problems and fill himself a little more. He reached over and grasped another berry in his mouth, still getting used to the hard outer skin they wielded. But, it didn't bother him that much in the end. It was food, and there was no foreseeable reason why he shouldn't ingest some more. After all, he was, as Celestine had said, going to be here for some time. He decided he may as well make use of that time. He just wasn't sure just how the days were going to go by.

* * *

Two days later, and he still had to lie there. It was starting to give him cramps all over, due to just how uncomfortable he was there. He wanted a nice place to rest, but this is not what he meant. Sure, he was allowed to get up and move around here and there, but not in an actual get-out-of-bed-and-leave manner that would allow him to fully stretch out.

Celestine and Vadimas came and went throughout the day, but at one point, Vadimas had walked in and stayed for more than a few seconds, giving Pathos a chance to finally get around to asking him the questions that had been lingering in his mind for some time.

"Hey," he spoke with slight intensity, a little more than anticipated, causing Vadimas to turn around. "So... I never got to fully ask... where _exactly_ is this place? Like, how far away from some kind of city or place to acquire supplies and stuff?"

The Water-type was thoughtful for a moment before nodding and saying, "Well, it's hard to say _where_ , exactly. There's nothing to see but desert for miles upon miles. The closest place we even know of is some twenty miles in a certain direction, and that would take ages to traverse. However, this village does turn out to be a bit of a hot spot for traders. We don't get them very often, but when we do, we're crowded."

He scratched his chin, slowly. "But there's a few more things. Despite that fact, this place is quite small. No more than seventy-five Pokémon live here. It's hard to explain the layout of the town to you, it's sporadic, since expansions are made at random, and follow no real pattern."

Pathos sat for a moment, cogitating. _Well, the trading part is more than likely where Celestine had gotten such an ample supply of products. And the part about not many residents... That's an answer to why it feels so empty, even without an outside view. But still... is everything in this desert in the middle of nowhere? Isn't there some kind of area with a bunch of cities connected?_

"Notwithstanding," Vadimas said, withdrawing the Absol from his trance, "it would appear to me that there is a bit of an increase in visitors lately. Not sure why that is, but it doesn't matter. Allows the village shops to make their income and survive. A convenience, but a bit of an annoying one, at that."

Pathos shifted his weight to his other side, wincing slightly. "Alright, thanks for answering that. But what about me? How much longer do you think I'll have to stay? You haven't given me a specific date yet, and I'd at least like to have some understanding of when I may go."

Vadimas' expression shifted drastically, and he said excitedly, "Ah, yes, yes! Thanks for reminding me, I would have forgot to tell you. I say around another three days or so at most. You'll be out of here before the week ends, I guarantee you that."

Pathos breathed a sigh of relief. He was excited to get to finally leave. He hoped he would get some level of supplies to bring with him on his journey, seeing as he had already finished off what Celestine had brought in the day he awoke.

What did Celestine think about him? Did she dislike him? The Disaster Pokémon couldn't be sure, as she showed no signs of discontent with his presence, the same going for the Slowking as well.

The Absol lay down again, simply to rest himself up a little. "Well, that's comforting to hear. I thought I was going to stay here for a lot longer. I don't know how much more sitting and sleeping I can take..." he said.

For the next few hours, though, that's all he had done, lay there and feel his muscles become more and more tense from the extensive periods of non-movement. At some point, Celestine had walked in and began to talk with Vadimas, their conversation not of any interest to the Absol, though they did occasionally glance at him.

Pathos huffed in a bout of frustration. It was such a pain, having to wait around for hours upon hours, days upon days. He understood _why_ he had to do it, but was this the extent of it all? The Absol shrugged. Vadimas _had_ been using his "Heal Pulse" as he called it to help him out, although it's slowly gotten less and less often, possibly because of his body able to do some recovering on its own at this point.

But one thing still stood strong in the front of the Disaster Pokémon's mind: What was going on? Was he to trust these people and follow along with them, or deny such a thing, work against it, and go off on his own? He shook his head. It could be either or, but for the time being, he just needed to focus on getting out.

* * *

Three days had passed, announcing the day that he finally was going to get released. Pathos was excited for it to have finally arrived, but there was also something that had somewhat halted his joy. He hadn't seen Celestine the entirety of the time he was awake, and, as a matter of fact, most of the day before. While he was not necessarily worried, he was rather curious where the jubilant girl had run off to.

When Vadimas had sauntered in later that day, he seemed to be a little off, like something had happened. Pathos didn't care to ask at first, but soon enough it started to get under his skin, and he had to ask him.

So, after a few moments of hesitation and thought, Pathos said, "Hey, Vadimas? Have you happened to see Celestine anytime as of late? I haven't seen her come in recently, nor have I heard from her. I was just wondering if you would know where she was at."

The Slowking stopped in his tracks, and turned to face the Absol, and his expression revealed that something wasn't quite right. He looked conflicted, and he couldn't seem to sit still. When he spoke, his voice was slightly quavering. "W-well, I would love to be able to answer that question, but... I... I haven't seen her either. I've been asking around, looking in every corner, and I just can't find anywhere she could have gone..."

His response sent a sliver more of worry into his system than he would have liked, but he didn't let it show. In an attempt to get the Slowking's thoughts off of the subject, he said, "Well, how ready am I to go? I've been moving less and less to try and prevent anything from being hurt again. I should be able to get up and walk a bit better now, yes?"

Vadimas seemed to brighten up a little, but not much. "Oh, yeah. Hold on, let me see here..." He walked over to the Disaster Pokémon and slowly moved him up. He moved his hands over various spots, asking if they hurt or not, rubbing and pushing somewhat forcibly on each spot all the while.

Pathos showed no signs of anymore pain, instantly giving him new hope. But, some reason, his mind wouldn't shy away from the main question: If Vadimas didn't know where Celestine had gone, then where was she?

When the Water-type had backed away, the Absol stood up and stretched out, feeling everything work again. His muscles were sore, but he assumed that was to go away after a bit of moving around.

He hopped down, looked around, getting used to such a low elevation after his time spent in the bed. It felt weird to be up and moving once more after laying in bed for the last three days, much to his chagrin.

Pathos made his way over to the exit, squinting at the light that was making its way through. He looked over his shoulder and said, "Well, thanks for your help, Vadimas. I would love to be able to thank Celestine as well, but.. she's not here, so, yeah."

Pathos heard Vadimas let out a great sigh before he said, "Look, I'm going out on a limb here, but maybe you're worried about Celestine, maybe you're not. Everyone I know has been looking left and right for her, with no luck." He shook his head, and got up, making his way over. "She saved your life, Absol. What do you want to do? If anything, you should at least try and pitch in before you go."

Pathos groaned. He faced Vadimas and said, "Well... maybe. I'm still having conflicting feelings all this, none of which you need to know. It's just... I don't know what to do." He scoffed. "I mean, come on, what do you expect _me_ to do? Try and look somewhere you haven't? I don't even know this place! You told me yourself that you've looked in every nook and cranny." He turned around again and began to exit, squinting furiously from the almost unnatural brightness.

"Look," the Royal Pokémon said as he followed the Absol out, "I don't know where she has gone. I haven't seen her since last night. But none of that adds up to the fact that you can't look anywhere and not find her!"

The Absol growled all the while. He looked up, and examined his surroundings. On either side, there was a large amount of buildings, with alleys in between each. But, he didn't really care about any of that at the moment.

The Slowking was persistent, and Pathos didn't want to waste too much time, so the Absol stomped and whipped around, his face contorted in anger. "Then _what_ do you expect me to do? Stop rambling on with useless facts and give me something!"

"What do you _expect_ me to give you? All I know is that last time I saw her she said that she was going to up and leave town for a bit to explore around, like she did the time she found you. After that, I had not seen her!"

Pathos rolled his eyes. "Really? She goes out and explores, and you expect her to be _here_?! Use your damn brain and think! She'll be out _there_ , not _here_! Give it some thought, and tell me what direction she went. Go on, share with me. If you figure that out, then you're practically guaranteed to get your answer of where to look."

Vadimas tried coming up with something to say in response, but to no avail. Recognizing his defeat, he said, "Alright, fine. You're right. It was stupendously dumb of me to not think of that." He was about to say something more when he gave a minor gasp, and said, "But what if she...?"

Pathos tilted his head in confusion. "What if she what? What all is there that could happen to her out _here_? It's a desert, there's nothing to see for miles upon miles! The only possible conclusion would be that she simply got lost, and has been unable to find her way."

The Slowking shook his head, seeming to enter another small panic. "No, that's not the case, she's never gotten lost out there, she knows her way around here quite well. But... there's something worse..." He leaned over to the Absol, and said, "She may have stumbled upon one of those incredibly mysterious occurrences, which have been respectfully named 'Mystery Dungeons'. I can't tell you for certain if that may be the case, but if it is..." He faded off, confusing Pathos once more.

The Disaster Pokémon growled a little, and said, "But could you at least tell me what the hell a 'Mystery Dungeon' even looks like? Or what it is? You're being stupidly vague, and that's not going to cut it. Now come on, just give me a good answer."

"But that's the thing! I don't know _anything_ about them! For what I know, not many people do! Anyone's best luck of finding something out is to go looking for one themselves, but even then, finding one is hard work. I mean... How can we even know where to look...?"

Something in Pathos seemed to click, and he felt a strong urge to do something. For what reason, he did not know, but the compulsion was just enough to make him not question it on the spot.

"Well, allow me to ask you this: Which way did she go? Do you even have any idea of that? If you knew which way she wandered, that could give you a good idea. Come on now, _I_ was able to figure that out, you should be able to do better than this."

Vadimas was thoughtful for a moment, trying to recall if Celestine said anything about where she was going. After a little bit, he nodded, and said, "Yeah, yeah, she did say something about that, now that I think about it. She said that she was going... South, was it? Yeah, it was. She never says how far out she plans to go, but it's somewhere out there. But here, I'll take you to the south side of town, since you seem so eager to go."

The Slowking led Pathos down through the village, where the Dark-type was greeted once more by the sight of the vast, endless desert he knew much better than he probably should. When he looked back on Vadimas, he had a look of remorse plastered on his face.

Pathos sighed and stated, "Look, I know you may think I'm probably doing this in return for the things you guys have done for me, but... That's not the case. I'm doing this because something inside of me is pushing me forward, so much so I can't deny it. So, naturally, once this is over and dealt with, I take my leave. I expect there to be some supplies for me to make it to the next place I go, wherever that may be."

Having said that, Pathos did not wait another moment, not for an answer, and not for something to happen, and he began to walk out into the wilderness once more. He didn't care enough to look back on the Slowking, whatever it may be he wanted to say or do.

* * *

He walked—and even ran at some points— for a long while, 2 hours, at least. The sun had already reached its peak, and was at a slight angle. He figured he had some amount of time, but he wasn't sure how much.

Looking left and right with no hope, Pathos had begun to ponder. _I realize what it is I am to do, but at this rate, nothing will get done. I mean, if Celestine really did stumble across one of those... 'Mystery Dungeons', how would I even know what to look for to spot one? Vadimas said that he didn't know much, and he wasn't sure how many people had a grasp on the concept, so how would I, of all people, know what they are?_

The Disaster Pokémon shook his head. It was much to difficult a task to even take on. He acted entirely on impulse, and now, it was coming back around to punish him. The only thing he could see, as expected, was the expansive cracked ground that he had walked on so much. The dirt was normally rather yellow in the daylight, but at sunset, it turned into a captivating shade of yellow-orange.

But, the more he walked and looked around, the more and more everything blended together. It was becoming frustrating for the Absol, and not only that, he wasn't even sure if Vadimas was telling the truth. He could have just sent him on this mission to get rid of him! Not that it bothered him much, but it still didn't sit right with him.

However, when he strode on for another ten minutes, and looked to his left, he spotted something... out of this world. There was a bizarre anomaly sitting there, suspended above the ground. It was mostly transparent, although the landscape seen behind it looked warped, and some of it even seemed... brand new. When he walked over and circled around it, nothing seen on the other side of the occurrence was even real. Pathos was astounded, and surprised such a thing could exist.

 _This... could this be what I'm looking for? I mean, it certainly fits the term 'mysterious', but... What if this is something else? What if I'm walking to my death here? What if this is telling me that an Influx is to come? How is someone to be sure that what they see is what they are looking for, especially when presented with this?_

Pathos was too anxious to care about all the possibilities. His compulsion was pushing on him once more, and he didn't want to make it wait. So, with a deep breath, he walked to the front, or what he presumed to be such, and hesitantly made his way in...

* * *

 **End of Chapter I**


	3. Chapter 2: Incertitude

**Chapter II: Incertitude**

* * *

 **Sands of Decay - 1F**

An odd sensation flooded Pathos' nerves, sending a shudder throughout his body. He was left somewhat startled, but the feeling soon faded away, and a small clenching of his muscles proved to be evidence that he was alright.

But that feeling of relief soon faded as he looked up and examined what surrounded him. Walls of ashen dirt rose high above the Absol, merging together at irregular angles. One of the walls was home to a corridor that led out of the room. The hall was wide enough to accommodate a few Pokémon side-by-side.

He curiously looked behind himself, expecting to see the portal he had exited from, but was surprised to find nothing more than another dirt wall. _I can already tell that this is going to be stupendous. I will_ totally _enjoy this trip._

Pathos shook his head. Neither the setting nor going back mattered to him at that moment. He had a job to fulfill, and as such, he could not afford to loiter around, gawking at everything that he came across.

Despite the fact, he studied his surroundings a little more and found out that the floor on which he was standing was dug out of the ground, allowing him to conclude that he was below ground level. He made his way over to one of the earthen barriers, where the walls were slowly putrefying, clumps of dirt falling out in places. The ground below him was still the same as ever, with just a tad of pale added to it.

However, one major question still lingered with Pathos: had he really stumbled into a Mystery Dungeon? The word 'mystery' fit, but he could in no way make a connection to 'dungeon.' But what reason did he have to believe that it was not?

With a look of infinite confusion plastered to his face, the Disaster Pokémon slowly made his way over to the passage, hoping to get a grasp on things sooner or later. However, as he walked, it became more and more apparent that his questions would not be answered quite so easily.

 _This place... I'm getting chills because of it... The cold wind blowing over me, the sudden change in landscape, it's all so... unusual…_ One thing Pathos couldn't seem to understand was that Celestine apparently fell victim to a Mystery Dungeon. For all he knew, this one may not have even been the right one, if she had stumbled upon one of the occurrences at all.

After taking a few more steps, he felt something snap audibly underneath his feet. Lifting his paw off the ground, he saw that it was a stick a few inches in length. Pathos tilted his head, confused. He hadn't expected shards of vegetation to be present in this environment, albeit dead. When he looked back up, he noticed that the walls contained groups of dead roots spread about. How he had not spotted them before was beyond him.

He proceeded to move forward, trying not to pay too much attention to the unnecessary. He needed to focus on whatever there was that could give him a lead on the situation, but the likelihood of such a thing existing seemed all but null.

He shook his head. Trying to find answers by thinking alone would never do him any good. He needed to scour the environment, find out as much as possible. He would not gawk, rather absorb. Perhaps the landform itself could give him hints. The subtle changes, the gouges in the walls…

When Pathos looked up, he saw a curved yet sharp veer off to the left that caught him off guard. _That's... certainly strange. Not as unusual as the 'portal' I climbed through to get here, but it's up there somewhere._

Pathos took a sharp, veering curve in the path, and continued down the aisle. _This place... it's so surreal. The portal, the walls, the feeling of impending doom..._ Not far from him, the Dark-type could make out the end of the tunnel. Filled with slightly more hope, he quickly made his way over.

Eventually the hall opened up into another large room much like the previous one. The room was slightly pentagonal, though one side was occupied by an entire path, probably six to eight feet wide. Embedded within one of the walls was a large hole.

Deciding that there was nothing worth checking out in the room, Pathos headed for the passage, only to be interrupted by a disturbing noise that sent shivers down his spine. He whipped around and discovered that the sound was the hiss of an Ariados situated in the hole.

As much as he hated to admit it, the Absol was pleased to see the oversized arachnid. While it was a little odd that he had be hissed at, perhaps he was mistaken for an enemy. On top of that, the fact that anyone would be within one of these dungeons was bewildering, but it didn't matter to him since he would finally be able to get some answers about what was going on.

"Hey, sorry for the inconvenience," he asked in the most polite voice he could muster, "but could you help me with something? I'm looking for someone that may or may not have come through here. Espeon? Pink fur, split tail? Did you happen to see anything akin to that?"

However, the Bug-type showed no signs of having received Pathos' request. Puzzled, Pathos made his way over, saying, "Um... well, let me ask you another question. Can you maybe tell me about where I am, this supposed Mystery Dungeon? Where do I go from here? There is some kind of exit, right?"

The Ariados did not welcome his inquiring, however, as it lurched forward, attempting to latch itself onto Pathos. The Absol dodged the attempted attack, taken aback by the spider's sudden offensive.

Pathos braced himself, getting into a viable position to move again if need be. "Dude, what the hell? I just want some simple answers. Is that too much to ask of you?" the Absol said with a hint of weariness.

The two started to circle around no definite point, making sure to stay alert to anything the other did. The spider hissed at Pathos, snapping its mandibles intimidatingly. It was now evident that the Ariados was not going to compromise with him anytime soon. In response, the Disaster Pokémon got in a fighting stance, ready to take on the new threat.

 _Something just doesn't seem right._ _He doesn't seem to be processing what I'm saying... What's going on?_ Pathos thought for a little as they eyed each other down, when he remembered something. _Well, I do once remember hearing something about wild Pokémon, but this..._

Pathos was torn away from his thoughts and was forced to act as the Bug-type made its first move, shooting from its mouth a stream of string that swirled back and forth, nearly hitting Pathos. A few strands of the String Shot stuck to him, and almost like magic, he could feel the slightest resistance at his every movement.

Pathos charged forward. He barely managed to land a blow to his opponent's abdomen, causing the Ariados to stagger back slightly, but in the end, only ended up causing it to exhibit more anger.

Cursing under his breath, Pathos repositioned himself on the battlefield. He knew he was disadvantaged: the Ariados was acting on quick instinct, while he was relying on faulty footwork at best. _I may have been able to do something against that Scrafty, but both of us were at less than peak performance._

He detracted himself from his mind to swiftly dodge a quick jab from his foe. _Here, I can barely even land a Quick Attack. I need to be witty if I am to come out of this. But what can I do...?_

Pathos withdrew himself from his mind just in time to narrowly dodge a Poison Sting. If he were to get hit by that here, he would surely not make it much farther, much less back to the village with Celestine—if he ever found her.

Shaking his head to rid his mind of any excess thoughts, Pathos put himself into full-on fight mode. He realized that there wasn't much he could do for quick movements for a bit, so he tried to keep his distance, managing to not take serious damage, although there were some instances where he had been hit, though thankfully not with anything detrimental.

When he could finally feel his fighting spirit arise, Pathos began to make moves of his own. He first tried to swipe at his foe, but the Long Legs Pokémon moved swiftly out of the way and retaliated with a Bug Bite directly onto one of Pathos' rear legs, bringing him to the ground.

Biting one of his lips to fight against the urge to cry out in pain, Pathos succeeded in shaking his opponent off, though he could feel the tiny amounts of blood leaving the wound mat down his fur.

Pathos backpedaled as the Ariados lunged at him and managed to put an acceptable distance between them. If there was any time for the Disaster Pokémon to learn to fight decently, now was the time to do it. After all, things had already continued longer than he had initially expected and he needed to find a way to get back on track.

The Dark-type assumed that since the Ariados was wild, its only intuition would be to follow its animalistic instincts. If that were the case, then he could possibly manipulate it to do what he wanted, allowing him some control.

Pathos began to physically taunt his opponent, hoping to catch its attention. When the spider hissed and scampered over, angered by the provocation, the Absol was filled with new hope.

When Pathos' assailant lurched at him, the Absol nailed it in the side of the head with the side of his blade. He gave it no time to recollect itself, and charged forward, instinctively beginning to gather crepuscular energy around his blade.

Sensing its impending doom, the Ariados barely dodged the deadly Night Slash, and where the Bug-type once was lay a huge gash in the ground. But Pathos wasn't done yet, as he transitioned perfectly into a Slash, which managed to graze the top of its midsection, leading it to hiss in pain.

However, this did not stop it from taking revenge immediately, where it repeatedly slashed away at the Absol's underside, drawing him away from the downed arachnid. Cursing, he could feel the streaks left from the Fury Swipes yelling at him for a few moments before adrenaline kicked the pain out of his nervous system.

Despite the newly gained wounds, Pathos snickered. His strategy seemed to affect his enemy well. _I've caught it off guard twice now. Now, if I can just keep that up, then—_

His cogitation was cut short when multiple waves of sickening pain shouted out to him from his side. On the verge of collapsing, he peered over his shoulder to reveal needlelike objects impaled in his side. Blurring out the pain with other thoughts, he eyed down his oppressor, only to find more of the same projectiles coming his way too fast for him to dodge at that point.

He had only seconds to think of some way to counteract the Pin Missile, and he was scouring his mind for answers. Night Slash took too long to initiate, Slash would do him no good as well, and Quick Attack was practically useless.

It took him a tiny bit, but he finally settled upon something he remembered being taught at some point in time. With no time to think about how well it would go for him, he concentrated on his blade, a psionic pink instantly forming around it.

Pathos quickly moved his head to the right, and swung it back around, such that his blade cut through the air horizontally. In the midst of the arc, all of the energy gathered around the scythe being released, flying off towards the oncoming barrage.

Much to the Absol's relief, the Psycho Cut, albeit half-assed, managed enough to disperse the small projectiles, guaranteeing his safety from the onslaught for now. However, Pathos knew that he was not safe enough to stand around, and promptly began to move around, hoping to throw off his opponent's aim.

At this point, Pathos hadn't the time to waste dawdling, thinking, or even trying out new methods of attack. Right now, he could only focus upon one thing: finishing the fight and moving on towards his goal. This was the final time he was telling himself. This time, he had to put that notion into gear and go with it.

In his attempts shortly thereafter, he continuously sparred with the Ariados, gaining himself some more cuts and bruises, but also returning the favor. Pathos could feel the adrenaline starting to wane, his body telling him through by his growing lack in speed and power. It was only a matter of time before the end of the battle arrived.

Wagering the rest of his energy on one final rush, the Disaster Pokémon growled as he charged onward, deciding against his instinct and trying another Quick Attack. As expected, the Ariados dove out of the way, but this time, Pathos landed a swift blow to the side of its head, dazing it.

Finally seeing this as an opportunity to end the fight, Pathos charged forward and brought his blade high into the air before briskly bringing it down upon his assailant—directly behind its head. The Dark-type cringed as he heard the sound of his blade cutting through the Ariados' exoskeleton, killing it before it even had the chance to react.

When he retracted himself from the carnage, Pathos once again thought about whether or not it was a civil Pokémon or a wild Pokémon. But all it took was the memory of its animalistic cries and its savage attacks to convince him that it was indeed the latter.

 _So these... ferals, I suppose they could be called... Just how many of them are there?_ He shook his head, not wanting to dwell on the topic, if only to keep his hopes up of finding Celestine alive.

He shrugged. So far, no answers had been delivered due to his incessant thinking. The most proactive thing he could do right now was push forward and find the exit, and hopefully Celestine on the way there.

Having convinced himself that there was still some hope left in this little adventure, he trudged onward, selecting various corridors to walk down, each leading to an entirely different room, each slightly different than the last. He didn't come across anymore wild Pokémon, much to his appreciation, though multiple times he swore he heard grunts, growls, hisses and more, encouraging him to speed his pace up.

Eventually he came across a room he didn't recognize, and for a very good reason. Directly in the middle stood a pile of bricks, starting on one end with one layer, the next with two, with three after that, and so on until a whole staircase was made, about ten feet long. That fact alone was not enough to cause him the level of confusion he was feeling. What truly baffled him was at the top of the staircase. There, a semi-clear portal-like object was visible, very much like the one he used to enter the dungeon.

At this point, the confusion became too much for the Absol to handle. He decided to simply accept what it was and go up the stairs towards what he could only assume to be the next step of this wonderful journey. The only concern for him was when it would finally end.

* * *

 **Sands of Decay - 2F**

Once more that sickly cold wind blew over Pathos, causing him to shudder once more. If that was going to become a norm for him, he could tell he was never going to get used to such a feeling.

Pathos glanced over his shoulder, confirming once more that he indeed could not go back. His only option was to press forward and make as much haste as possible. The Absol wasn't sure how the rest of the dungeon was going to play out, so he needed to avoid trouble.

The walls had gotten shorter, and they seemed to be more decomposed as well. The ground was softer, crumbling apart so that it got in between the Absol's paws, and was left with indents from his weight. There were three different pathways leading out of the room, each at different angles. Some small patches of vegetation were scattered about, though they were likely all dead.

Pathos figured that if Celestine had gone missing for some amount of time, surely she wouldn't be in an acceptable condition, definitely not if she found her way into the dungeon. Vadimas never told him how long she had been missing, so he was assuming worst case, about a day, which, if he knew anything, it was that going long periods without food or water was not good on one's body, especially in this desert.

The thought of calling out Celestine's name in hopes of an answer crossed his mind, but it was obvious that wouldn't work out well. As he had reasoned, if she were gone that long, surely she would not have been able to respond, much less still have been conscious.

He instead looked to the sky in meditation, but noticed that it was slightly darker out, as if time suddenly skipped ahead a few hours. Though he should have been even mildly surprised, it felt natural to him, just another part of life. He figured his uncaring attitude may have been due to the already absurd amount of weird he had encountered.

Pathos shook his head and stood up straight. He would get nowhere if he stayed put and contemplated the many different things that were. If he was going to take the time out of his life to take on this task, then he may as well do it with full effort. He nonchalantly walked randomly towards one of the hallways, halfway expecting another attack.

Pathos noticed that the wood roots he saw before had gained more shape to them, growing straighter and more consistent. The farther he walked, the more and more these logs would pop up and the more uniform their shape would become.

When he emerged out into the next room, he was astonished to lay eyes on the sight before him. It was actually less of a room, and closer to the remains of a collapsed building. Bits of splintered wood lay strewn about, Along with leather canopies and cracked support beams. Apart from those, there were a few portions that seemed slightly intact, but not enough for Pathos to feel safe approaching them.

The Absol silently paced around, stepping over obstacles and avoiding anything that even hinted at being unstable. _This is... well, incredible to say the least. I never would have expected_ this _, of all_ _things. But... why is any of this here? How would such a structure come to be in this place?_

Pathos didn't care for any true details, but was rather intrigued by the almost hypnotic presence of the rubble. He climbed through tunnels, underneath low-hanging canopies, and over crumbled stone. Even down the corridors there were spans of debris, as if it all once belonged to a large village.

Aside from the fragments of a lost society, the landscape began presenting to him some new features. As he progressed, things began to soften out, the ground decomposing more and more, as did the walls. The roots in the walls seemed as if they would disintegrate if one so much as tapped them.

Pathos was happy that he was concerned more with the environment changing than any sort of impending doom he might face. If anything, it was consolation for him. But that did not mean that he was going to completely ignore the main issue, not at all.

He held his head high. _Even then, I need to keep pushing forward. Struggles like this are only going to hinder me,_ he thought, supporting himself for the nth time. But as long as it kept motivating him, he figured it would be fine.

He explored around, much like on the previous floor, but found that things were getting progressively difficult for him, and for a multitude of reasons. He was not only starting to feel hungry, despite his recent gain in nourishment, but he was also finding the need to keep investigating every possible aspect of the dungeon, whether it be the sky, the floor, the walls, the corridors, the rooms, or even himself.

The Absol didn't know how much longer things would continue the way they were, but eventually, he got his answer. Halls became more complex and confusing, with many branching paths, some even looping back upon themselves, even spotting some ferals a few times, but he did not want to waste anymore energy fighting them unless he really had to.

He even found several more toppled and crushed constructions, each with their own separate designs. It was surreal almost, and reminded him of the village he woke up in, just one of the many things that could happen to it.

Whenever he was reminded about the village, he always began to think about Vadimas and Celestine, what they'd done for him. Celestine's finding him in the desert, Vadimas healing him up... Whether or not he wanted to admit it, he truly was thankful. Vadimas was right—he needed to do _something_ to repay the two.

 _Celestine... I wonder just how much she's had to go through since she left yesterday..._ Pathos could sense a sliver of something within him that he wasn't entirely sure what it was. He wasn't solid on the idea, but perhaps he was concerned?

Whether or not he was, he was most interested in having just found the stairs to the next floor. Pathos didn't think he could endure much longer of this horrendous "adventure," and wanted it to end soon. So, he inhaled, exhaled, and sped up his pace, intending to find the stairs soon.

Luckily, within the next few minutes, he achieved his goal in finding the stairs. This time, they were not as clear-cut as before, showing much more wear and tear than the stairs he saw before. He mentally smacked himself, saying that he had to keep going, and so he did, climbing up the crumbling pile of bricks.

* * *

 **Sands of Decay - 3F**

Pathos quivered, exited the black, and was presented with much the same scene he had been welcomed by before, with the same features changing as they did last time: it had gotten even darker out, a few feet was cut off the top of the walls, and the cracks in the dirt were no longer visible, instead replaced by mounds of loose soil, of which now snuggled its way uncomfortably between Pathos' paws.

After establishing that he would not be able to keep the vile substance out of his paws, Pathos investigated the options he had: the path to the right, which, was almost completely blocked off by roots which extended into the room a few feet, and the path to the left, whose walls looked insanely unstable and ready to devour any soul who dared brave the curvature they displayed.

Pathos had been at his limits for a decent while, and was not about ready for the slow wait for adrenaline to begin pumping when then walls caved in, so he decided to take on the overgrown side.

The sight became worse and worse the closer he came to the vegetation. How was he to carve his way through the thick that was in front of him? He could surely cut it up, but not more than a few feet in before he would have wasted all his energy.

When the Absol was ready to give up, he spotted a new light—there was just barely enough space for him to cram his body in and crawl through, albeit with some cutting, though he could manage.

After bracing himself, and making sure no ferals were after him, he slipped into the entrance to the crawlspace, nudging along slowly, focusing his efforts on not getting stuck, and especially not getting anything in his eyes.

Absentmindedly he dug his way through, managing to slash a path for himself a few times. _I certainly never expected to see so many branches at once. The previous floor had it's own share of oddities, but they were... not as intense, not as concentrated._

It definitely took a few minutes, but Pathos finally spotted a place to get out of the ensnaring vegetation. He pushed himself through, happy to be out of the strait space. However, his joy was not to last long, for as soon as he placed his first leg down, something shot up from the ground and latched itself onto him, several points on his leg being greeted with sharp pain. Pathos bit his lip exceptionally hard to help seal his scream, almost instinctively slashing at his offender with his free leg, but they did not let go.

In his bout of pain, the Disaster Pokémon managed to get a look at just what it was that snapped its jaws onto his leg. The creature had a large, tan, and oblong ovoid head with semi-large beady eyes, a body the same shade of brown as the many dried up roots the Absol had crawled through, and sandy, leaf-like limbs, though they appeared hard and usable as whips. No matter what he tried, he couldn't get the Carnivine to let go.

Pathos did not have time to get caught up in another fight, and was ashamed he managed to let another feral get the best of him. He wasn't feeling invigorated quite yet, and did the last thing he could—nail his assailant in between the eyes with a Night Slash.

It didn't let go at first, but after a few more times, the Grass-type let go just enough for Pathos to unlatch his leg. The Absol didn't care about how much his leg hurt, since he needed to get away from his newfound foe, who was limply crawling along the ground speedily.

 _Shit! What the hell am I supposed to do?_ Pathos' mind was scattered, and he couldn't think straight. He had acquired a new limp to add on to his previous problems, and it was limiting how fast he could go. He needed to come up with something soon, or else he wouldn't be able to get back, dead _or_ alive.

Pathos heard a sickening crack resound through the air. He looked back, and saw that the Carnivine was whipping its arms, which were in close range of making contact with him.

He sidestepped out of the way of another whip, and managed to land on the retracting vine, grounding the Bug Catcher Pokémon long enough for Pathos—with his good leg— to kick the top of its head, stunning it.

Pathos took this time to quickly take in his surroundings. On the far wall, about forty feet away, was the only exit out of the room, which he instantly made a run for, no longer looking back. He'd rather waste his energy running than wasting it fighting another enemy.

While he ran around corners, through roundabouts, he could hear his stomach growl, feel his body desire for something to give him more energy, as well as rest. Had he known that he would go hungry in an hour of traversing the dungeon, he would have sought to bring some food along with him.

Aside from his body's complaints about his actions, it was obvious that other ferals had taken notice of his presence, and may have been chasing him as well. Was the Carnivine still chasing him? He wasn't sure.

It got to the point where silence had overcome his senses. Pathos stopped running, whether he wanted to or because his exhaustion told him to. When he was sure he wouldn't be jumped by some surprise enemy, he finally let out a sigh. He had to have been in a near sprint for three minutes tops. He knew that wasn't a long time, but every second felt an hour to him, hoping to not be put out of his misery. Though, the exhaustion that running had left certainly did put him in misery.

Pathos stared at the sky, its extravagant maroon, the lackluster clouds. How had things turned out the way they did? Just when he thought it was going to smooth out, a bump in the road showed up, sending everything spiraling out of control.

He shook his head, growling. What use was it? The mission was probably going to be a bust for him anyway, so why did he accept in the first place? What was it that motivated him to keep going forward?

 _I can't get a grasp on it... despite the fact that it was my decision in the end to accept. It's not like Vadimas was forcing me into this. So what is it that I decided upon that made me do this...?_ Pathos closed his eyes tight, trying to envision what he was feeling at the time of making his choice. He just couldn't help thinking about it.

He thrust himself up and stretched. Enough whining and contemplating, he thought. He could do that after he reached his destination, when he had all the time he could possibly ask for. Which, admittedly, came faster than he anticipated.

With just a few more rooms traversed, he spotted a lavender blob on the ground, its shape getting more and more distinct and familiar the closer he got. And the closer he got, the more pumped he felt, and the faster he walked.

The blob was, as he suspected, Celestine, passed out on the ground. Pathos could make out a few cuts underneath on her side, maybe some on her legs as well. Pathos was honestly more surprised that the ferals hadn't completely gotten to her than finding her here. But, he wasn't one to complain. It meant that he could finally—somehow—finish his mission.

After somehow propping the feline up onto his back—which did not feel good, concerning his previous injuries—he sighed and began to walk as hurriedly as he could, which wasn't very fast at all.

 _I mean, yeah, I'm happy about this, but... I still can't help but think about everything. Not to mention how painful carrying her is..._ He figured that maybe he got lucky, maybe life was pitying him, he didn't know. So many things had cluttered his mind at this point that he just wanted it to end. His excitement for finding Celestine was short-lived, and now he was ready to finish this.

Pathos heavily concentrated on making sure not to backtrack his steps, when he nearly jumped when he heard Celestine groan, and he was even more surprised when she spoke up, though slowly.

"W-what...? You...? How did... how did you find me? Actually... why are you even here? Shouldn't you still be in bed?" she asked, her voice dragging on. She tried to shift herself, but found she was too weak to do so.

"Arceus, one question at a time. I don't know how good of a condition you're in, but it's obvious that you're extremely exhausted." The Absol exhaled a breath full of stress. "After he gave me the a-okay for my recovery, Vadimas sent me here. Actually, it's more that I decided to look for you after he told me what was going on, since he apparently didn't have the brain to come up with the idea himself."

It took her a few moments, but Celestine nodded. Pathos felt her turn her head to the side. "I'm sorry... I... I got careless when venturing out. I didn't know what was happening when I appeared in here. It took me longer than it should have to make the connection—that was one of those Mystery Dungeons that I've heard Vadimas occasionally talk about. I tried my best to make it through, but... I was thirsty, and I found I had gotten really hungry."

Celestine stuttered the first few syllables of what she was trying to say, but eventually managed to get it out. "I... I tried to run away from my attackers, but I found myself without energy. I... I have troubles recalling much after that, honestly. But... thank you, really. Arceus knows how long I would have lasted out here."

Pathos couldn't hold back his smile. "It's nothing, really. I guess it's just... I don't know, actually." He was about to continue speaking, but found that Celestine had not been responsive. Did she pass out again?

The Disaster Pokémon sighed. At least he knew that she was alright. It meant that part of the job was complete. No, he just had to make it back safely, but there was no guarantee of that, considering his past experiences in the dungeon. Nevertheless, he straightened up, and set getting out of the dungeon as a top priority.

In and out, out and in, the rooms and corridors flew by despite his slow speed. He was almost entirely on edge because of the fear of being struck down by another feral. After his encounter with the Carnivine, he watched each and every one of his steps, making sure to not mess up.

Finally, he found the stairs after countless minutes of checking each and every direction, every single step of the way. By now Pathos was exhausted more than ever, and his back ached. If only he didn't have to carry the Espeon on his back.

 _Well, on we go. I don't have any idea of what to expect, especially after what I saw here. Hell, I don't even know if I should expect anything, or when I'm going to get out of here._ Pathos was intent on getting out, if only to rest in peace. His motives were clear in his mind, and he trotted up the stairs, hoping to see to the end of the adventure.

* * *

It came to him as a surprise, what he saw when he exited the void. He was no longer surrounded by crumbling walls of dirt, and was instead encompassed by the vast expanse of the desert. The sun had finally set down over the horizon, and Pathos had no feeling of what time it was. To him, it felt like he was only in the dungeon for an hour to two hours, yet the whole day seemed to pass by. Just how long had he been in there?

As it stood, his biggest problem was the fact that he didn't know where to go. Which way was which? The sun was set, meaning he couldn't know which way was east or west. At best, he could use his own innate sense of direction to find his way, but he wasn't anywhere near confident in those abilities of his.

He looked over his shoulder to make sure that Celestine was still there, as if the weight on his back wasn't enough proof. What a turn of events it was, to find her there, and have the dungeon end shortly thereafter. _It would be a damn miracle if I manage to get her back without something coming up. Arceus knows that's just what I need right now._

The Absol spent some amount of time, looking around, wondering what to do, when he felt Celestine stir once more, which he very much enjoyed. She groaned once more, and then slowly looked around the best she could.

"Oh, you made it out? That's great... But... what are you doing now? Are you looking for which way to go? It's... that way, I think..." she said, pointing a shaky paw off to the front left of Pathos.

The Dark-type tilted his head and stood for a minute, hesitant about her decision, but then remembered that he had nothing better to lead them back, and decided to go with it. "If you say so," he said, walking in the direction the Espeon had provided.

"So, why did you decide to come get me? You... could have just as well have had Vadimas retrieve me, considering he knows more about this desert than you do... but instead, you sent yourself," the Sun Pokémon inquired.

There it was—the question he had been asking himself the whole time. How could Pathos answer her question if he knew not the answer to his own? Even then, he didn't want to leave her without an answer, so he said, "Well... I don't have it quite figured out yet, but maybe soon."

Once more silence settled between them, and Pathos wondered if she had passed out again. At first, he wasn't going to say anything, but eventually he tried getting her attention. "Celestine?"

She didn't say anything at first, but soon she brought out a response. "Yeah? What... what is it? I'm... actually really tired, so I kind to want to sleep, if you don't mind."

"Oh... sorry. I... I didn't know if you were still awake. You were passed out earlier, so I wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. You can sleep, if... it's what you need," the Absol said and Celestine nodded in response, and she soon lay her head down on his back.

Pathos gave an exhausted sigh. _This journey of mine has been a whirl. I don't even know what made me take action, yet I feel proud somehow, accomplished, like I've changed directions. It's... pleasant,_ he thought to himself. _Speaking of accomplished, when this is done, I can't imagine how happy Vadimas is going to be._

A good hour or two later, A wave of relief had flooded Pathos' emotions. He was correct in believing Celestine's knowledge of the area around the village, but also her sense of direction. Not far from him, he could make out the village. It only took him roughly another hour to reach the outskirts.

Pathos was nearly about to fall down and just wait or Vadimas to find him, but what good would that do? After all, his sense of responsibility would not allow him to do such a thing, and instead forced him onward.

It was now that Pathos realized that he wasn't in a very suitable condition. His front leg still hurt from the Carnivne, and his back one from the Ariados. His underside was torn to bits from the Ariados, as well. He had taken notice to a limp he had developed carrying the Espeon, as well as a dry throat and empty stomach.

Pathos spotted the tent—at least, he suspected it to be the right one. He didn't get much time to look at the outside of it earlier, but due to its shape, he figured it should be the correct one.

The Absol prepped himself by taking a few deep breaths. When he was ready, he marched over to the enclosure, and stuck his head in the opening. "Hey, Vadimas, you here? I... somehow managed to make it back."

Luckily, as he'd hoped, the Slowking was inside, positioned atop his chair, inspecting various items. Vadimas jumped at the sudden voice, and relaxed when he saw who it was. "Oh, hey. If I'm honest, I'm relieved that you came back. How did it go?"

Pathos smirked. "Why don't you take a look for yourself," he said, fully emerging through the drapes, revealing to Vadimas the Espeon on the back of the Absol. The Slowking jumped out of his seat examined the two of them.

The Royal Pokémon shook his head, chuckling. "I... thank you. Really." The Slowking cradled Celestine in his arms, and moved her over to the bed, examining some of her injuries. "Where did you find her? Was she...?"

Pathos nodded. "Yeah. At first I was in disbelief, thinking, 'Is this really a Mystery Dungeon?' but I soon accepted the concept. It took me a while, but I found her, passed out on the ground. She dipped in and out of unconsciousness, but overall, I think she's alright. I sustained a good few injuries getting her out, and I'm really quite hungry, as well as thirsty. But, if anything, you should be more worried about her."

Vadimas nodded slowly, then faster. "Yes, you're right..." He shook his head, and walked over and sat on his chair. "Well... you could at least inform me of what happened to you, so I can take care of you later. It's the least I can do for your favors."

The Dark-type shrugged. "Well, my injuries were caused by the Pokémon in the dungeon. I don't think they're that big of a deal, but my front right leg was bitten down on, as well as my back right. My underside and the side of my body was attacked, and there were some thorns stuck there, but they seem to have fallen out."

Vadimas nodded, mentally jotting the information down. "Alright. Again, thank you, I cannot express that enough." He was about to continue, but stopped himself short, and put a hand to his chin. "I... look, I admit, I wasn't thinking right earlier. All of the things you pointed out were obvious, and I just didn't care to think about them. You were right, I should have been able to come up with those ideas. I truly do owe you greatly."

"It's fine. I guess... I did feel that I somewhat needed to pay you two back as well. I'm still not sure why I decided to help out, but... I'm glad I did." Pathos smiled. "I guess what comes around, goes around, huh?" He sighed and turned around, ready to leave.

"W-wait, Absol," Vadimas said, and Pathos turned around. "You... where do you plan to go? From how it sounds, you didn't have it very well out there. You won't make it anywhere if you try and walk off in a random direction, hoping to find another settlement. Seriously, you need to think about this. I'll admit, I forgot to send with you some kind of supplies, but still. No amount of supplies can help you if you don't know where you're going."

Pathos stood there for some time before nodding. "Yeah... okay. You do make a good point. And, I also admit that I was not thinking straight earlier. I don't think I can quite head out yet. I'll find a place to sleep, then. Would you... give Celestine my thanks? I... I think she would appreciate it." The Disaster Pokémon was about to exit when he remembered one more thing. "Oh, yeah... My name's not Absol. It's Pathos."

He did not wait for a response before he left the tent. The last thing he needed was for something to keep him away from sleep. Though, an even bigger problem would be finding a place where he could do just that.

That search alone took him a good half hour. In the end, he decided upon a small alcove in a building that had a small pile of hay laid down, which looked comfortable enough for him. If anything, it was a start. He may get kicked off by the owner of the building, but at this point, he did not care.

Pathos positioned himself on top of the heap. It was a start, he figured, but nothing like the bed Vadimas had. it was at least better than the ground he had to deal with when he was with the refugees.

Once he found himself situated on the hay, Pathos closed his eyes. _Today was... nothing short of bizarre. First waking up to having Celestine not anywhere in sight, then Vadimas' complaining and sending me off on that mission, then the dungeon... It happened so fast. I don't think even on a few nights of sleep I'll be able to figure out some of the things that happened._

 _But still—why did I decide to rescue her in the end? What was it that made me do that?_ The Absol sighed. He really didn't care much right now. He just wanted sleep, and he would get it regardless. He wanted answers, but if he didn't get them, then it didn't bother him.

One last time, he opened his eyes and looked out to the sky; its encompassing darkness was certainly comforting him, but he could slowly feel the embrace of sleep grab him, and even as he attempted to fight it to think some more, he found he was soon asleep.

* * *

 **End of Chapter II**


	4. Chapter 3: Consternation

**Chapter III: Consternation**

* * *

Pathos slowly opened his eyes once he no longer could stay asleep, the bright sky blinding him through his eyelids. He was surprised to have found that nobody had cared to have him move from his spot and on to another place. Not like he cared, of course.

The Absol lay still for awhile before getting up. The previous day had taken it all out of him, and he was beat. There wasn't much he could recall, other than the harsh experiences in the dungeon, the walk home, and collapsing on the pile of hay. He had fallen asleep before he could even think about anything.

He tried stretching as he normally did, but was greeted by sore and painful sensations coming from all over his body. _Arceus, how rough did I have it yesterday? I mean, I remember_ what _it is that happened, but... I don't remember things being so bad._

Pathos carefully stretched the parts of his body he could. Upon finishing, he groaned and made his way back to Vadimas' tent. Or, at least, he _tried_ to recall the path he took, which didn't end well.

The Absol hadn't cared to memorize the various landmarks he passed by. As such, he spent around ten minutes trying to recall where he had come from, passing by many buildings, but only very few passersby. Thankfully, Vadimas eventually found him since he went looking for the Absol, which certainly saved Pathos a load of trouble.

The Slowking lead Pathos through a winding path back to the tent, the two sharing some words here and there. Once they made it inside the tent, Pathos spotted Celestine up on the bed, sound asleep. Vadimas trotted over to his chair and plopped down. He stayed silent for a few minutes, but eventually spoke up.

"Pathos... Again, thank you. I... can't say it enough. Yesterday, I was freaking out, and I should have come up with half the things you did, as I said." Vadimas looked away, deep in thought. "I—Celestine, she... I'm sure she greatly appreciates your effort to help out, truly. I know _I_ do.

"When you were out cold before you recovered, she was freaking out, wondering if you were even going to make it. I don't think she really told you about all the worrying she did. She would come in so often, trying to offer me help and try and return you to your past condition. She had never seen you before, yet she was so determined to save you. Honestly, I've never understood her motives for doing such things, but I've always complied. I have never once seen her treat someone with distaste, ever. It's... bizarre.

"I... I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that... she's trying her best to be helpful. It's part of who she is. She hates it when she's denied the permission to help someone out. You can try to push her away as much as you want, but until you're pleased with her aid, she won't leave you alone. I know this from experience. I mean, whether or not you want to accept it, she and I... we saved your life. And just yesterday... You saved hers."

Vadimas breathed in slowly, then back out. He got off the chair, and knelt on the ground in front of the Absol. "You've probably been thinking of what you could do to repay either of us, but that's just it: you don't need to do anything at this point. For me, retrieving Celestine and helping me realize my fault is more than enough. But for Celestine... In return for saving her... she will feel like nothing she could do would be able to repay for what _you've_ done." With a smile on his face, the Slowking shook his head and pushed himself up. "You did phenomenally, that's for sure. Again, thank you."

Pathos wanted to say something, he really did, but he just couldn't bring up the words he needed. Vadimas was spot on, though—he really did feel like he had to repay them. But now he didn't have to? Surely this was some mistake. But, the truthfulness in the Slowking's tone was more than enough to make it known to the Absol that he was not lying.

 _But... Surely Celestine has already done enough to repay for what I did, right...? There's no reason for her to do anything more, is there?_ It didn't matter how much he chipped off the ends of his mind, he could not find a reason why she would need to keep doing things to do in return for his favors.

"Pathos, I realize you probably want to go and do something, but why don't you stick around until Celestine wakes up? It'd be nice for her to see your face after yesterday. After all, she's going to want to thank you. O-of course, I'm not gonna make you stay, but it's just a thought," Vadimas suggested.

And so he did. The Disaster Pokémon had no reason to wander in a place he'd never seen, demonstrated by his lack of finding his way to Vadimas' place earlier. _Besides... I guess I really do owe it to her, after all..._

It wasn't much longer until the Espeon had stirred from her slumber. Pathos could tell that the previous day had taken so much out of her, purely from the way she stretched, the stiff movements and moments of stillness. She looked around slowly, and grinned as soon as she spotted Pathos.

With a shaky tone, the Sun Pokémon finally managed to form her words. "O-oh... Hey." She opened her mouth and let it hang there before continuing. "Listen, I... Thank you—really—for yesterday. I... didn't get to say much to you about it. I was beginning to think that I would spend the rest of my life out there."

A chill followed by a rush of warmth raced through Pathos' body. "No problem. I... I guess I just wanted to try my best to return the favor. It really wasn't much to me, honestly."

Celestine shook her head sluggishly. "N-no! I'm really grateful that you actually put your life on the line for me. And all because of a careless mistake that I made... I'm sorry you had to go through that..." Pathos had to think twice when he saw her eyes well up.

Vadimas spoke up before Pathos could get in a response. "I really don't want to barge in, but Celestine, how are you feeling? Do you feel well enough to be able to move around?"

Celestine sniffed and rubbed her eyes. She remained silent as she steadily rose herself. "I... I think? I don't know... It feels like I should be able to move, but I also feel so _sore_. Give me a little bit..." she responded, taking a bit to stretch.

Once a few moments of the Espeon preparing herself passed by, she took a large breath. After another few moments, she leapt off the bed, landing successfully, though not without a bit of trouble.

Celestine stabilized herself, then Vadimas inspected her, making sure she was alright. She showed a few signs of pain, and a little bit of exhaustion, but the Slowking assured her that she would be fine with another day's rest.

After he finished taking care of the Espeon, Vadimas turned to Pathos. "You... You told me yesterday that you had some injuries of your own. Can you allow me to take care of a few of them?"

The Absol hesitated, but gave in, and let Vadimas aid him as well. The Slowking took care of some of his damage, but only the minor things. It was concluded that a good night's rest would help a bit, but Vadimas suggested that he should also wait a good day before his injuries were acceptable, which didn't really bother him.

Since he had nothing better to do, Pathos hung around and chatted with the two in the tent. It was odd that he still felt he needed to do something, despite Vadimas telling him to not worry. What concerned him most was the fact that he'd never had a sensation like this. He never had the passion to want to repay someone so badly, and it was driving him insane.

Eventually, Celestine had gotten tired and fell back asleep, leaving Pathos with Vadimas. For a while, there was nothing but silence between the two of them, and a couple times Pathos would open his mouth to say something and then retracted after deciding it wasn't worth it.

The longer the Dark-type sat there, the more he just wanted to have something to do, his boredom overriding his senses. Ultimately, he decided upon accepting sleep's call like Celestine had, and was soon asleep.

* * *

The next morning was a bit of a rush of events for Pathos. He and Celestine were shaken awake by Vadimas, who was almost in a panic, scrambling to get things into a bag hung over his shoulder.

The Absol got up from his earthen bed and stretched a little. Pathos yawned and in a gruff tone said, "Arceus, Vadimas, what the hell is your problem? Couldn't you have let me sleep for a little longer? And will you _please_ stop freaking out and calm down?"

The Slowking vigorously nodded his head and took a few solid breaths. After making sure that Celestine and Pathos were paying attention, he went on. "So, um... how do I put this...? ...N-not too long ago, late last night to be exact, someone came in and informed me that... a n-new Influx not far from here was spotted. The Influxes have been stupendously intriguing to me, and as of now, I've g-got the chance to see one for real and investigate one. I cannot pass up this chance! I'm sure both of you are aware of the concern with them. I want to try my luck at unlocking their secrets, those Influxes."

Pathos' attention was definitely grasped by Vadimas' words. Every time he heard about the vile occurrences, he couldn't help but shudder. He most certainly heard of the havoc the Influxes caused, the fear associated with them. But to uncover their secrets, was it really possible...?

"Was there anyone there?" Celestine inquired in a sincerely concerned voice. "If anyone was harmed, or if someone is trying to escape and get somewhere safely, then we really need to get going! They need help!"

"H-hold on! Celestine, I nearly lost you only recently, and if something were to happen to you now... I... I really just would not be able to live with that. If this were anything else, I would _love_ to have you tag along, but now...?" Vadimas exclaimed.

"I understand that! I really do! But... can't you allow me to act of my own free will a bit more? Can't you try and understand how I feel about this? You _know_ I won't settle down until I know for myself if anyone is okay! So why not just take me with you to save me from the pain?"

Vadimas was seething with frustration. "No means _no_ , alright!? I'm not telling you this because I don't want you to act on your own. I'm saying this because I _can't_ lose you! I've never seen an Influx before, nor do I know how they act! _Nobody_ does! I'm _not_ about to let you succumb to something so dangerous, just because you want to save people!"

Pathos' head was spinning. First he was pulled to consciousness by the Slowking, and now he was in a heated argument with Celestine. He wanted to try and say something, but feared the consequences of doing so.

"And so what? You're not going to be able to protect me forever! One day, you're going to have to come to terms with the fact that you will not be able to keep me within your reach! It's not like I can't look out for myself! You let me wander outside of town in the desert, you let me help strangers around town, yet you refuse to let me go with you, where you could protect me, no less?"

"I—it's..." Vadimas strived to make a counterargument, but was found himself at a loss for words. For a bit he tried to make another valid point in response, but kept coming short.

The Slowking breathed and nodded. He put a hand over his face and sat down on his chair. "...Fine. I give in. You can come along, but for Arceus' sake, stay by my side at all times. That's all I ask that you do..."

Celestine expressed her gratitude and happiness for the Slowking's decision, much to his dismay. Meanwhile Pathos was still utterly stunned by what had just happened. Was there something he was missing?

Nevertheless, Vadimas explained to Pathos that he should come along as well. Since he had yet to know his way around town, there wouldn't be much to gain in leaving him there. The Absol wasn't sure it was a good idea, but Vadimas didn't catch his concern.

Pathos and Celestine were walked through the steps the Slowking was going to go through once there. Pathos was mostly lost due to the Water-type's frantic tone, but managed to grasp a few things here and there.

In little time, Vadimas had gotten the two ready, and they were on their way. When they had arrived at the edge of town, the Slowking turned to them.

"Just to run it over once more with you guys, absolutely _no_ straying away from me. I have some supply of food, and a bit of water, but not much. I'm going to stay for a decent amount of time, a few hours at most. I'm going to try my best to make some kind of discovery—anything. If one of you leaves, I want the other to go with. I personally have no clue how far out we're going to go, only what direction our destination is. Now come, we need to go, before we run out of time."

The trio set off, the Absol and Espeon right behind the Slowking. To a degree, this reminded Pathos of his time spent in the refugee groups. Limited supplies, sore feet, immense amounts of time spent in the sun, long periods of walking...

However, the thing concerning him most was the disagreement Celestine had with Vadimas. She had gotten so riled up in such a small amount of time, something he would not have expected from someone like her.

Celestine seemed to notice his concerned expression, as she said, "Are you troubled about earlier? We... don't usually get into arguments like that, so it's not too big of an issue. Don't worry about it, okay?"

Pathos shrugged. "Alright, if you say so," he said, retracting back to himself. With one question answered, he was able to focus on the next: how much farther did they have to go?

"Hold on... what's that out there?" Vadimas' proclamation nudged Pathos and Celestine to take a look at what he spotted. It was far off, somewhat near the horizon. It was hard to tell what the shape was, or what it could be. As far as they could tell, it was a weird, amorphous patch on the environment.

The three of them were perplexed as to what the mysterious blob could possibly be until they got closer, where Vadimas announced, "Arceus, it's not some _thing_ , it's some _one_!"

The Slowking immediately picked up the pace and hobbled over. Pathos kept up a few feet behind him, staying to the side to see who they were coming up to, while Celestine was right up there with Vadimas. Soon it was apparent that there was more than one person.

As they got closer and closer, Pathos was beginning to regret his decision to accept coming along. He already recognized one of the faces from a distance, and began to recall from his memory the other two present.

One last time the Absol checked his mind for another possible answer, but he came to the same conclusion, nonetheless. The three figures that stood before the group were undeniably Basileus, the Tyranitar who beat him down relentlessly, and a Machamp and Gengar, both of whose names he did not know. The only thing he did know was that they were part of the same group as Basileus. Why were they out here?

Vadimas quickly hobbled over to the trio first and with great surprise said, "Y-you three... what's wrong? You all seem to be in a cold sweat!" He began to dig through his bag. "What happened?"

Basileus simply stared at him for a few moments while his partners stared away. His jaw trembled once before he managed, "It... I didn't believe it would happen. We... the... the Influx. A new one broke out. I heard of their power, the ruination. But we were at a camp, so I didn't have too many worries that one could strike. I have no clue how we made it out of there alive. I—"

Pathos was in awe over the fact that an Influx his the camp that _he_ was at, and immediately felt the piercing gaze from the Tyranitar lock on to him, and felt a wave of emotions radiating from him. He could already see where this was going.

The Tyranitar cleared his throat, and spoke in a coarse tone. "I... I never would have imagined that I would see you again. I had only conversed with you to help set you straight. Have you finally found a new life? Or are you still walking around causing trouble?"

The Absol snarled. "Shut it. It's none of your business. A fucking Influx hit, and _that's_ what you think about? Can't you think about all the people who fucking _died_?"

"Oh my, look at you! Last we met, you were still as selfish as ever. I never would have thought that you'd show concern for other people. Maybe you really are changing..."

Through gritted teeth, Pathos said, "Regardless of the fact that I'm selfish, at least I have the decency to understand the danger of the Influxes!"

Just as Basileus began to deeply growl, Vadimas stepped in before the argument went any further. "It seems you two actually know each other. That's good and all, but _b_ _efore_ you start anything, would you mind at least explaining in coherent words what happened to you?"

Basileus glared at the Slowking so harshly Pathos thought he heard him whimper. "Do _not_ tell me what to do." The Armor Pokémon sighed.

"Anyway, the Influx... I was the leader of the refugee camp _that_ asshole was a part of. Since he left, things got peaceful, and I hoped it would stay that way. But I guess I shouldn't have been so lax. Before I knew it, these two woke me up screaming to run away. Thank Arceus they had, because otherwise we would have been swallowed up by the Influx."

The Rock-type cleared his throat. "But those who weren't so lucky... the numbers include everyone else there. We tried to see who all was left. Nobody but us. I cannot express the fear instilled within us three as we sprinted as fast as we could, somehow managing to escape the horror. After however many hours of travel, here we are."

Having regained his composure, Vadimas cleared his throat to speak. "He was in _your_ refugee group? Jeez, I had no knowledge of him being in one at all!"

The Slowking breathed, flushing his mind so he could concentrate. "Anyway, I really hate to be of such bother to you, but we were just on our way to investigate the Influx. Since you were there, perhaps you could direct us, and maybe give us some insight on things. I am far aware of the dangers associated, but I would like to help make some discoveries, if anything. I have a few supplies you can use to rejuvenate yourselves, if you'd like."

The Tyranitar looked upon his companions with remorse for a few moments. Reluctantly, he nodded. "I guess we could do so. I don't wish to stay too entirely long, though. A few more hours at most. Promise me that much at least."

Excitedly, Vadimas bobbed his head. "Much appreciated, truly. I too do not desire to stay for very long. We can take a small bit of a break here for a while, then I would like to head out."

Both groups rested for a while, boosting their morale, and they were soon off. Pathos initially hung a little behind, but he eventually decided to catch up with everyone else. They were all having conversations amongst themselves, but Pathos decided to stay out of it.

Pathos groaned under his breath. It was a rather bizarre thing, how they were acting, considering what their destination was. "Never thought I'd be walking towards one of those damn things instead of away from one," he uttered to himself.

"Are you referring to the Influx? If so, yeah, I can agree with you. I just get this certain feeling of dread when I think about the fact that we're actually on our way to see one," he heard Celestine say, nearly making him jump out of his skin. Again she crept up to him.

The Absol huffed. "Arceus, do you _have_ to sneak up on me like that? It really gets on my nerves when you do that." He took a few moments to recompose and replied, "Yeah, that's what I was talking about. It's just... I'm not so sure how well this is going to go for us, you know?"

"Yeah, I hear you," Celestine said agreeingly. "Despite how much I really want to help out, I'm not sure how much I'd be able to pull off with the looming threat of the Influx..."

Pathos nodded. _If there was one thing in this world that would make anyone shiver, it'd be the possibility of being a victim of an Influx. It's obvious that Vadimas is terrified about this, but if it could help us find a way to counteract them, or understand how they work..._

Celestine hummed for a few seconds before asking, "Say... what do you think about the Influxes? I mean, obviously not very high, but still. It's just something I find interesting, that something so dangerous could be so mysterious as well, you know?"

"Perhaps the reason they're so dangerous is _because_ of how mysterious they are. I've never really cared to look into them, but I at least know about how frightening they can be. I just don't hope to stay put at the one we're going to see for very long." Pathos shook his head. "I honestly don't think Vadimas is going to be able to come up with anything useful. I'm not doubting him, but rather... I'm doubting that there really is a way to find out _anything_ about those damn things."

The Espeon opened her mouth to speak but hesitated for a moment. "Say... have you had past experience with the Influxes? It kind of sounds like you know a little bit about them."

Pathos scrunched his face. "Well... somewhat? It's... hard to explain. I mean, I kind of get the idea, but I've mostly been told about them. I've been around tons of people who speak about them a lot, and... yeah."

Celestine soundlessly acknowledged his answer. She seemed as if she was going to reply to him, but shortly thereafter gasped as she stared at the horizon. "What _is_ that!?"

The Absol raised his head to look at what Celestine had spotted. Just there, a little above the horizon sat a jagged outline of pitch black. Pathos found it hard to locate the words necessary to describe the shadowy patch.

Basileus solemnly spoke up. "That... that's the Influx. It may look close, but we are still a few hours from our destination. Regardless of what happens, we need to be cautious."

Pathos shuddered at the sight of the Influx. He could feel an ever-present tension grip his being, forcing upon him a wave of fear. He truly was not looking forward to this encounter.

As the two parties trekked for another few hours, they share words far and few between, with occasional conversations going for little more than a few minutes. The inky streak grew more and more, silencing them the closer they got.

Eventually Basileus stopped and put out an arm, halting everyone behind him. It was difficult to tell how far away they were, considering the pitch-black color gave the Influx a shapeless image.

Everyone was taken aback by the sheer awesomeness of it. One could not know where it started and where it ended, only that it existed. It was obvious why it would be so dangerous to approach an Influx: their crepuscular nature eliminated all feeling of depth perception, their unpredictability only adding to that.

When Pathos shakily gazed up, the encompassing darkness was there to greet his eyes. The anomaly stretched oddly into the sky, cutting off in some places and continuing upwards in others, like the structure of a shattered window. It dipped up and down, extending or retracting. The Influx didn't encompass the entirety of the sky, for Pathos could still see a part of the sun past the tar-black area. When observing the boundaries of where the Influx met with the rest of the world, he could spot some jagged edges that dipped in and out, some smoother, others more rough.

"T-this..." Vadimas stammered, stumbling back a bit. "I had a mental image made, but... Arceus... This is so much worse." He turned to Basileus. "You got away from _this_? How on earth did you manage to do that?!"

"It's..." Basileus glanced at his hushed partners. "We aren't sure either. As I said, all I remember is being shaken awake and sprinting as fast as possible. After that, the shock wore off and I couldn't really get a grasp on the whole experience."

Pathos hadn't been present when the Influx appeared, but the terror, the power... he could feel it _all_. And it horrified him. He didn't want any more to do with it. Fear had begun to lock its vice-grip around his neck and regret had started to sink in. The Absol wanted so terribly to get out of there, but his body had ceased. No matter where he looked, the crushing presence of the omniscient void was there to greet him.

He tried his best to overcome it, yet he failed miserably. He slowly inched away, trembling all the same. _Arceus, why did I agree to coming along...? Why would anyone want to even_ see _one of these things if they didn't have a reason to?_

He tried all he could, but the Absol could not disconnect his vision from the Influx. At this point, the Absol's breathing had turned ragged, and his concentration started to deteriorate. He had only just noticed his tremble, but made no struggle to stop it.

Pathos heard Celestine speak words of concern, but he did not understand them. She got Vadimas' attention, and the two surrounded him. But by then, he had already collapsed to the ground.

* * *

The Absol jolted awake with a gasp. His eyes jumped around, scouring his environment. After he had realized he was no longer at the site of the Influx he took a breath and tried to figure out where he was. He was inside a tent of sorts, a large slit in the middle of one side opening to the outside, and he was propped up on a fairly comfortable bed. He grunted as he rose to a sitting position, shaking his head. Where was he?

Puzzled, he took one more look around the room. There was the opening to the outside, the bed, and then... Ah! There, right by the door, was a desk with a small chair situated next to it. _Wait, is this—?_

Unamused, he dropped off the bed. Slowly he approached the desk. There he found just what he expected—all the same materials and objects that were present on Vadimas' desk. To further confirm his theory, he went over and peeked outside where he was met with the unspectacular sight of the village.

Pathos ducked back into the marquee and sat down. _I mean... I'm away from there... but_ why _? Why am I back here? Could anyone have carried me back...? Because if they were going to return back to the scene again, it would take another few hours, and it would be dark by then, eliminating any reason to do that..._

The Dark-type knew that he wasn't going to get an answer to that question by musing, but he also knew it would be hopeless to go out and ask around, if only to stay away from the resentment towards his species. All he could do at this point was wait.

And wait he did on the bed for some time until he noticed someone waltz into the tent. Who it was though shocked him. He was expecting anyone _but_ Celestine to appear before him.

For a few brief moments she crept along. However, when she spotted that the Absol had stirred, her face immediately brightened. "Oh, thank Arceus, you're awake!"

Pathos had been caught off guard and was left without words. "I... yeah? I mean, I'm awake, yeah. But... here... how did I get here?

"Well, I had to carry you back here by myself because Vadimas had to stay behind to do some more research."

The Absol was perplexed. "You...? But how? Surely having to carry me back would have taken a bit of a toll on you? I know that's what it did to me..."

Celestine grinned. "Well, admittedly, I did have a little bit of trouble, but I think me being able to do so would have to do with the work I do around town for people. That's probably where I got that strength."

He took a few moments to absorb the information, but he came to terms with it fairly well. With one question answered, another arose. "Then... _Why_ am I here? Weren't we at the Influx?"

She held her tongue for s bit before giving her response. "Well, we _were_ , but at one point I looked over to you and saw a face of panic, and you were even whimpering. You seemed to dip in and out of there. I tried to get Vadimas' attention to help out, but by the time we had gotten to you, you had already passed out. Is everything alright?"

Squinting his eyes, he tried to recall what had happened. Seeing the Influx, the panic... did it really happen? He closed his eyes ad dragged a paw down his face, trying hard to recall. Then, when he least expected it, it all came back to him, running him over.

"O-oh, right... Th-that, um... Yeah. I'm honestly not so sure. When I agreed to go along, I didn't expect anything significant to happen, and most certainly not that I would pass out..." He looked shyly away and went dead silent for a few seconds.

"...It's just not right." Pathos looked back at Celestine. "You know? It's just doesn't make sense. There's no explanation for the reason the Influxes are even a thing, and on top of that, nothing to help prevent such large losses at their hands."

Pathos' statement caused great confusion for the Espeon. She did not speak for awhile whilst trying to forge a response. "What are you talking about?

Pathos breathed to refocus. "Celestine, do you know what it's like to have to turn your back... as hundreds of people perish? To have to run to the point where that's all you're familiar with?" The Absol lowered his head. "This is... a bit difficult for me to come to terms with, even after all this time, but... that darkness... the looming danger... I've known its existence for a while."

Though it took Celestine a few seconds to grasp the information, when she finally did, she had to sit down. "Are... are you saying... you're a _victim_ of the Influxes? _How?!_ I know that the guys we met earlier made it out... but I only assumed that it was by pure miracle that they managed to escape!"

Pathos lay down gloomily. "I... I don't like thinking about it, honestly. It's not a very pleasant memory. Reminds me of how shitty this world is."

Celestine opened her mouth to speak, but left it agape when she found nothing to say. The two simply sat in the silence that grew between them.

"You... just what have you been through...?" the Psychic-type inquired, drawing from Pathos a shrug and another moment of tranquility.

Celestine cleared her throat. "...I—um, say, I just thought of something. I haven't really had anything to refer to you by. What's your name? Could tell me, so at the very least, I know what to call you?"

Pathos gave her a perplexed look. She... didn't know his name? "Have I... not told you? I... could have sworn I did."

Briefly she shared the same level of perplexity as Pathos. She gasped in realization. "O-oh! Right! Um, well... I didn't really ask for your name because I really didn't think it was necessary, and that maybe it would be a bit intrusive since you... never really introduced yourself to me. So we're both kind of at fault."

The Absol meekly laughed. "Ah, yeah. I really should have told you sooner. I guess I owe that to you, huh?" He rose up and hopped down to the ground to meet her at eye level. "I guess it's time for a proper introduction. I'm Pathos. You... well, you kinda already know my story."

Celestine grinned. "It's nice to meet you, Pathos!" She quietly giggled. "Anyway, with that out of the way, I'd like to ask you again, is everything alright?"

Dejectedly, Pathos nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm better. Thanks for, you know... listening." He looked away. "It means so much more than you know. Really."

Celestine beamed. "It's no problem, honestly. I'm sorry that you... had to go through all of that." Crestfallen, she shifted her glance. "And... I'm sorry that I asked..."

The Absol shook his head remorsefully. "No, it's fine. It's only natural that you'd be curious what happened after I collapsed. I guess I let curiosity get the best of me, wondering if my fear had finally dissipated. I guess not."

She only nodded in response. A few seconds passed by and she said, "Say, you do realize you don't need to keep yourself so secluded, right? Me and Vadimas, considering what we've done for you, we're willing to sit down and listen to you. So don't be afraid to ask us something, okay?"

Pathos was a little stunned, but shook his head and gathered himself. "Y-yeah, thanks, again. I... really appreciate your help."

Celestine gave a cute giggle. "I assure you, it's no problem. Helping people is really something I enjoy. Vadimas isn't as peppy, but he does do it."

Looking distant he nodded. "Yeah... I know. I'm sorry that I haven't been very vocal with my problems. I haven't really had anyone to speak to for a while. It's nice to have that luxury."

Straight-faced, Celestine nodded. "Yeah, I can't imagine. With what you've told me, it seems like you haven't had much luck in that department."

Pathos gave a solemn nod. "Very. I haven't had _any_ luck until, well, now. Have I said thank you yet?"

The two chatted for a couple of hours until sunset when they were interrupted by a very distressed Slowking entering the tent, along with Basileus' crew.

As if he didn't even notice the duo in the room, he rushed over to his desk and started shuffling around various items, withdrawing and depositing various things from his bag.

"Vadimas, what's wrong? Why are you in such a panic? Did something happen at the Influx?" Celestine asked, but her answer did not come immediately.

The Slowking took several deep breaths to regain his composure, and with a quivery voice said, "W-well, yes... I... I hadn't thought it possible, but... it happened. The Influx, it... it suddenly pulsed, and then started to grow. _E_ _xponentially_. Thank Arceus we were as far away as we were, because otherwise, I don't think we would have made it out of there."

Celestine sprang to her feet, and darted over. "W-well, are all four of you alright? You're okay, right?"

Basileus cleared his throat. "Yeah, we're fine, albeit a little shook. None of us anticipated them to hold that kind of property, nor the ability to do that."

Vadimas closed his bag up and turned to the five other people in the room. "Celestine, I'll need you to help these three find a place to spend the night. But before that, I want you all to know that I need to go somewhere, and will not be back until sometime tomorrow. I expect that you won't cause any trouble around here."

He gazed at Pathos. "I see that you are fine now. I would love to know what happened, but right now I simply don't have the time. I'll be off, I hope I don't keep any of you waiting too long."

The Water-type squeezed by the Basileus and his companions, leaving the five alone. Celestine was the first to take action, as she addressed the task that she was assigned, and led Basileus and his crew out after a small bit of conversation with them and their experience.

Left alone with his thoughts, Pathos was finally able to mull over them all. _Celestine, she really does care, doesn't she...? She talks in such an upbeat way, and she's incredibly friendly, at that. Despite that... What is it that keeps her going, even in this hell?_

He mentally sighed. _Vadimas, though... what is up with him? It's not like I don't trust him, but... I don't really understand what's up with him. He's quite unpredictable and is all over the place constantly. I'm thankful for his help, but..._

The Absol put a paw on his face. He had come to realize that he didn't have a right to judge the Slowking like that, not after what he did for him. It just wasn't right. Now that he thought about it, was he right to judge _anyone_ , regardless of how they treated him? He assumed yes at first, but now? He wasn't so sure. Things had suddenly changed so radically he didn't know how to react. Was this still reality? Or was it just an outlandish dream?

How pathetic, Pathos thought. Just more than a week ago, he wouldn't have given any such thoughts attention. And now here he was, doubting even his own actions. What had gotten into him?

He didn't want to believe it, but by now he was convinced he was changing. Whether it was for better or worse he didn't know. All he was aware of was change. Unceasing change.

Pathos puffed out his cheeks. _Whatever. I guess it's pointless to really think about that right now. I'll just wait and see how things work out in due time._

The Disaster Pokémon debated for a little longer, hesitant of what to think. Eventually he simply gave up and instead waited. For what, he was unsure.

When the time came that Celestine reentered the enclosure, Pathos was just happy to be able to do something other than sit around.

After a short stretch and a profuse yawn, Celestine said, "I hope I didn't leave you hanging for too long. Is everything alright, Pathos?"

He quickly nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. If anything, better, now that you're here, so I can do more than just think about the countless problems that I have."

Celestine chuckled a bit. "Good to know. It was a little hard to find those three a place to stay, things are already tight here the way it is."

"Arceus, I can't imagine, given this desert's reputation to take things away. At least it worked out. I can't really say the same for me, though..." said a despondent Pathos.

Celestine tilted her head. "What do you mean? You've been sleeping here, right? Why would there be any issues?"

Pathos stammered trying to make an explanation. "Well, I mean... Where will you sleep? I know that you maybe had somewhere to sleep when I was forced to stay in bed for the recovery, but what about now? Now that It's not necessary, where will you go?"

The Espeon smiled in empathy. "Oh, that? It's not a big deal. If I'm honest with you, I've never really slept on that bed much. Vadimas usually uses it, but when you stayed there, I actually have no clue where he went. As for me? You don't need to worry. I'll get a place to sleep, no problem. And besides, I think you deserve a comfortable sleep. So go on ahead, hop up and try and get some shut-eye. Staying up late doesn't do you any good."

Pathos went to say something but chose to shut up in agreement instead. Celestine made a good point, and he would never pass up the chance to sleep on a proper bed.

Pathos bounded onto the cot, and spun around a few times before he lay down, closing his eyes. For a moment he caught himself smiling. Maybe things really were turning out well.

* * *

 **End of Chapter III**


	5. Chapter 4: Ambition

**Chapter IV: Ambition**

* * *

For the first time in as long as he could remember, Pathos actually had a good night's sleep, no tossing and turning, as well as no stress. In all honesty, he couldn't think of one downside to his peaceful rest, except for the fact that he was waking up.

Opening his lazy eyes and sitting up, the Absol stretched mildly to try and perform a successful attempt to get his muscles in operating condition for the day, which somehow ended up working. After doing so, he sat quietly for a few moments, contemplating various subjects, ranging from breakfast, to how to handle the things that were bound to be thrown at him.

The Disaster Pokémon sighed, and began to lift himself from his oddly comfortable cot. He assumed that his efforts would endow him enough strength for now. But with his planning out of the way, he had no more reason to be positioned on his place suspended from the ground. So, Pathos nonchalantly hopped down from the elevated platform onto the packed dirt floor. It oddly soothed him every time he stepped foot on it, as he was reminded of his current situation every time.

While he made his way towards the opening of the canopy, he couldn't help but notice a familiar lavender blob stationed atop a pile of straw formed into a bed. Taken aback, the Disaster Pokémon murmured, "Celestine...?" before quietly treading over to the Espeon. She seemed to be fast asleep, and quite comfortable, at that, which was odd, considering that he wasn't the most comfortable when he last rested upon straw.

After a moment of thought standing above the feline, the Absol recalled that the Espeon said she would find someplace to sleep, and while she sure did, this wasn't exactly what he had in mind. He imagined that perhaps she would go inquire someone if she could lay down at their place, not improvise and make her own bed from dried out fodder.

Pathos stood for a bit longer, before thinking to himself, _Well, considering the state of her sleep, perhaps I should try and move her up onto the cot? That would be the nice thing to do, wouldn't it?_ However, just as the Absol finally made his decision, and was about to turn around and leave her be for now, the Espeon stirred, causing his fur to stand on end, Pathos simply standing still as Celestine arose from her slumber.

The Sun Pokémon didn't seem to take notice of the canine beside her at first, as she pushed herself up, stretching out her legs, slightly shaking in the process to get rid of some straws of hay. After that, she turned her head to Pathos, eliciting a happy grin at him, as if expecting see him there. "Oh, hey... Good morning, Pathos."

For a few seconds, the Absol was stiffened from being surprised only moments before, but managed to swallow before saying, "Uh, yeah, morning. Did you sleep comfortably?" He tried to sound as polite as possible, because it seemed he just couldn't act genuinely nice around anyone at the moment, no matter who it may be. Even then, if only because she pretty much dragged him from the desert to this tent to prevent him from dying out in the wasteland, he felt he should at least return some of the favor.

Pathos was shaken from his trance when Celestine yawned her reply. "About as well as someone can on a pile of hay. It really digs into you at times, and that makes it slightly uncomfortable." She changed her position so she was no longer turning her head to look at him. "If I were to be honest, I really don't know if I would have found a place to sleep around. Sure, the townspeople care about me, but I don't know how well they'd fare with someone else sleeping in their residence."

Pathos let out a halfway pensive sigh. Just as he thought, she hadn't the slightest idea of where to spend the night. Despite her positive outlook on things, she seemed to be affected by what others thought about her. It almost made him pity her, but he caught himself. Could he really be starting to trust this girl?

"Well," he started off shakily, "I was just about to make my way outside to find someplace to eat. But, seeing as you're now awake, perhaps you'd like to tag along with me? I mean, it would help me out, as I still don't entirely know the layout of this place."

The Espeon yawned for a moment as he watched on in suspense. "Yeah, that'd be fine. Besides, we all need breakfast, or at least some kind of meal, so that we have energy for the day." Finally shifting from her position on the hay onto the dirt, Celestine shook her body to rid her fur of any excess dust.

"Ah, alright. T-thanks," Pathos retorted. As the Espeon began to make her way around the Dark-type, he stood there, turning his body, and readying himself to follow behind her. The two made their way outside, where the sun was shining as bright as ever.

 _This town is really rather impressive, being able to survive in these harsh conditions. It really makes one wonder just how anyone could try and make the best of what they got..._ Pathos contemplated, almost trying to sympathize, but caught himself before he could. Was he really able to put himself in the place of those around him, despite how he felt about people? He shook his head. No, that can't be happening, could it?

He wouldn't be able to answer that question, because by the time he was going to get around to it, Celestine spoke up. "Hey, I don't mean to be intrusive, but we're here, so maybe you could stop daydreaming?" This caught the canine off-guard. He had somehow dozed off for so long that he failed to realize how much time had gone by. He tried his best to make it not look like it, as he said, "Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking about something.

Whilst he had the chance, the Absol managed took a bit to take in the design of the building. While slightly unoriginal in design compared to other structures around, this one seemed to be a bit more orientated towards an older style, featuring swinging wood panels that served as doors, with tall wood pillars that rose at the intersections of the walls, topping it all off.

Celestine sighed, saying, "Well, if you know, then come on! I bet you'll enjoy the food here, I can just tell," before making her way in. Nodding his agreement, he followed behind his partner into the building, where the two came across quite a ruckus.

The aforementioned argument starred Basileus and co., with Alkaios seeming to be firmly set on staying quiet, while Erebus seemed to be rather carefree with his decisions, hardly paying attention at all, as well as the creature they were talking to, who seemed to be the impatient type. It was very obvious that they were someone the Tyranitar did not want to see, evidenced by his expression. The Pokémon featured what appeared to be sharp blades on its green forearms, as well as a red spike that extended from its torso, coming out the back as well.

Dragging a hand down his face, the Armor Pokémon said, "Look, Amōs, me and my team just _barely_ escaped one of the biggest Influxes ever recorded, and you want us to return right now? We can still hardly keep our footing, especially when thinking about what had happened."

The Gallade exhaled with displease. "I am not the one issuing the order. _He_ is. I suggest that if you do not wish to get on his bad side you make your way back soon," Amōs retorted, his last statement carrying with it a hint of hostility.

Completely unsure of what the situation was, Pathos decided to be the one to speak up for once. "Hey, what on earth is going on here?" The Rock-type paid no heed, as well as the Gallade. Instead, Alkaios made his way over, dragging a muscular palm across his face.

"Alright, I'm gonna make this short and clustered, because we don't have much time to spend here," the Machamp half-whispered to the two, the Espeon listening intently, while the Absol tried to pay more attention to the background conversation, although with the hulking Fighting-type in his way—and not to mention his slightly bellowing voice—he really couldn't make anything out. "See, we work for an organization called 'The Invictus.' There, us, as well as many other groups, take on different tasks, depending on what the situation calls for." He was about to go on, until he looked behind him, and saw that the two had finally come to an agreement, eliciting a sigh from him. "Look, if you want to find out more, just head north-east about twenty miles, and you should encounter our main base. That's all the time I have for sharing used up, so good luck."

After finishing his explanation, the Superpower Pokémon backed away and returned to Basileus, who simply stood there as the Blade Pokémon made its way out, outright ignoring Pathos and Celestine in the process.

For a little bit, there was a strange silence between everyone in the building, but was broke as Celestine made her way towards the three Pokémon in front of them. "So, I take it you're all leaving now?" she said, genuinely curious.

Basileus didn't seem to be in a good enough mood for another conversation. "If that's what you wish to call it, yes. Frankly, I don't mind either way, but we need to be going. Perhaps we will meet again someday," he stated, eyeing Pathos sternly, before motioning for his teammates to follow him out through the exit.

"So..." the Absol said, breaking the tranquility between the two. "What in the world was that all about? And why here, of all places? That was pretty much forced on us, if you think about it," Pathos stated, looking at Celestine. "But whatever, we didn't come here to simply worry about others. Are you ready to get some food?" The Sun Pokémon looked at him. "Yeah, It's okay, I'm ready to eat. Just follow me," she stated, before leading him towards the back of the room which contained a counter with shelves of various items on the wall behind it, there were also A few doors leading to a back room Pathos assumed to be the kitchen.

The first thing the Dark-type noticed was the red-feathered avian with its back to them, messing around with things on the table, obviously trying to conjure something up. The back of its head was green with these weird yellow-orange feathers sticking out of the top, an orange stripe running down from them. The feathers on its wings were weird, as they simply dropped down from its muscular arms.

The Hawlucha turned around, greeting the two with a smile. "Ah, Celestine, I see that you brought a friend with you today, although I've never seen him around. As a matter of fact, I've never seen him at all." He waved it off. "That aside, quite the argument to walk in on, wouldn't you say?" The Wrestling Pokémon's latter statement confirmed that he had known the two walked in during the conversation that Basileus was having.

Celestine nodded at that. "Yeah, that was quite odd. But, aside from that, this here is Pathos, he's rather new here in town, hence why you don't know him. I decided to bring him here for breakfast before we head out and do some things around town."

The Flying-type replied, "Ah, very well," and hopped onto a stool in front of the two quadrupeds. "What can I get you two? For you, Celestine, I'm assuming the usual?" he inquired sharply. She nodded. "Indeed, Alexio. However, for Pathos, perhaps..." She sat and contemplated for a few moments before speaking up. "Oh, I don't know, what would you like to have?" the Espeon asked the Absol.

This caught him off-guard. What would he like? How could he possibly decide? Anything would work just fine, really. Considering the troubles he's had to put up with, he couldn't pick just one thing from the menu! He sighed, and looked at the Hawlucha intently staring at him, awaiting his order. Alexio seemed like the kind of guy to be a fan of jokes, so Pathos said, "Humor me, I wanna see what you can come up with."

The Wrestling Pokémon chuckled. "Aye, I'll see what I can do. Just find a seat, and I will bring your sustenance out when it's ready. Take your time and relax, no need to force yourselves to be excited," he stated, giving the two a thumbs up before fluttering off through the doors.

The Sun Pokémon tapped the Disaster Pokémon on the shoulder to get his attention. "Come on, let's go sit down. It will be a little bit before our food will be ready to eat." He only nodded in reply, as he was in thought. _Is this for real? Actual food, not just scraps? This isn't a dream, is it?_ Again, Celestine poked him. "Hey, c'mon, follow me." This time, Pathos correctly followed her directions.

The two made their way towards a booth nearby a window. The stained wooden benches that were on either side of a medium sized table had a maroon padding on the seat and back, carefully designed to be aesthetically pleasing, but also comfortable to sit on. On the table, set up against the wall were salt and pepper shakers carefully designed for being used by quadrupeds, bipeds, and anyone else. There was a small tray of napkins there too. The aforementioned window was a weird octagon with perpendicular wood strips as braces for the glass.

As the two took their places on opposite sides, with Pathos sitting in a way the sun shone through the window and into his eyes, blurring his vision of the Espeon. "This place is really quite nice. The wood floors, the glass windows, condiments, comfy seats, et cetera. I could name it, and this place probably has it. It's incredible," the Dark-type said, all the while looking around and taking in the surroundings.

"Yeah, I've heard that plenty of people are fond of how nice this place is, considering the environment we live in. Some may even go to say it's the nicest place in town, which I personally agree with. It really helps to get out of the desert heat, and it lets you actually feel at peace," Celestine said in a gleeful manner.

Nodding, the Absol replied, "I can surely see why that is. Notwithstanding, what do you think of Vadimas leaving yesterday? I am honestly really curious about the whole ordeal." His inquiry brought forth a thoughtful look to the Sun Pokémon's face. "You know, I'm not sure. While it is something he does occasionally, I've never bothered to even think about asking him. But, to be honest, I'm not even sure he would tell me."

This left the Disaster Pokémon at a bit of a loss. The Slowking's departure seemed to make no sense whatsoever to either one of them. Where was there to go in this desolate wasteland? Perhaps Vadimas really didn't go anywhere, and that he just needed to be somewhere silent to allow him to think peacefully. Pathos let out a sigh while shrugging. Whatever the case was, it didn't matter right now, it wasn't affecting him, so why should he care?

A silence ensued between the two Pokémon, but Celestine managed to break it after a few minutes. "So... what do you plan to do after this? I know you've not a place to stay here, but I don't even know if you _want_ to stay here. No one is keeping you here at this point, but what will you do next?" she questioned with a distraught tone.

Her inquiry made sense, considering the situation he was in. Although, he hadn't told her or Vadimas about his plans, but how could he? He doesn't even have anything to go by, what to do, or even return to! Pathos let out an enervated sigh. "I... don't know. I didn't have a particular destination before this, and I don't have one now, so what am I to do?"

The Espeon put on a pensive expression, bringing a paw to her chin in thought. "Well, I wouldn't be able to speak for you, but maybe you can just stick around until you figure out what it is you want to do. For now, let's not think about, it though, I'd like you to try and help me out around town today, the citizens do appreciate it a lot. At least I believe they do. They're kinda hard to read sometimes."

The Dark-type nodded slightly, not having any better idea to share. "I guess I wouldn't mind trying that out. Things would get a little boring around here with nothing to do." Just then, something popped into his mind, and he was about to tell Celestine about it, but he was interrupted by Alexio's voice. "Well, it seems that you two are rather talkative, and I believe that to be a sign that you're ready to eat. Of course, that assumption may be incorrect," the Fighting-type said in a midway loud voice.

The duo looked over at the bird, who was carrying two platters balanced on his claws, one for each hand. "Ah, there you are, Alexio. Well, just don't take forever to bring our meals over here, alright?" the Espeon said in a euphoric tone.

The Hawlucha chuckled. "Yes, I can do that," Alexio retorted before making his way over from the counter. When he arrived, he placed the dishes in front of their respective orderers, a plate containing what appeared to be some form of grilled fish being Celestine's, while Pathos' meal was some kind of meat he couldn't seem to recognize.

The Wrestling Pokémon seemed to have noticed the Absol's curious look, and explained, "It's Grumpig meat. The're not found around here, so I have to import it from elsewhere. The same goes for most to all of our food that we have here, although I do try my best to get the highest quality stuff I can find. It's also not the cheapest to buy, but I make sure that it satisfies. However, as for you, since it's your first meal here, I'll be a nice guy and let you have it for free. Just gotta make sure you like it, you know?"

For a few brief seconds, the Disaster Pokémon was left without words. However, as to try and not create an awkward silence, he managed to summon a few vocals. "Oh, thanks. If I'm not to lie, I really haven't had much meat, so I'm set on believing that I will enjoy this meal. Again, thanks." Pathos was oddly intrigued by the look of the slab of meat. The visual texture was smooth, yet it was rough with gashes he couldn't associate with anything. The juice making its way out from inside only enticed him more, as he leaned down to take a bite of it. When he did, a multitude of flavors rushed into his mouth, unlike anything he'd ever eaten. However, Pathos tried his best to hide his absolute shock from the Hawlucha. Instead, he said, "It's incredibly delicious." The Fighting-type smiled. "I do try my best."

As the Absol admired the ham, Alexio looked at Celestine. "Does the Magikarp look as done as usual? I wouldn't like to see you disappointed with your meal, that'd just be unacceptable," the assiduous Hawlucha proclaimed. The Espeon seemed to drift off into silence as she brought the sea food up to her mouth with her psychic powers. The Wrestling Pokémon waited in suspense for the feline to release her reply.

She set the fish back down on her plate, and swallowed her bite. The Sun Pokémon smiled. "As good as always, Alexio. No need to be discouraged!" she retorted gleefully, dismissing the Fighting-type's distress, as exhibited by his prominent sigh of relief.

"Well then, it seems that my job here is done. As I presume you have found out already, the additives for your meals are up against the wall there, and use them how you prefer. I hope you enjoy every bite of your food!" the now ecstatic bird said before turning away and heading off towards the counter.

Pathos looked up from his food, his mouth halfway stuffed with meat. He eyed Celestine, who noticed his gaze. "Hm? what is it?" she said in reply to the Absol's look after finishing a bite of her meal. After ingesting his food, and a moment's hesitation, the Dark-type gave a retort of his own. "Well, we were interrupted earlier, so would you say that perchance we could continue our conversation?"

She nodded. "Yeah, that's okay, there's no better way for us to spend the rest of our meal. What else was there that you wanted to talk about?" the pink feline inquired. The Absol delved into thought as he studied the outside through the window, all the while squinting due to the intense light shining through said window. What could he talk about? There wasn't much that popped into his mind, except maybe the scrumptious chunk of flesh sitting in front of him.

After a good minute of thought, Pathos finally came up with what he believed to be an acceptable topic. "Say, what do you think about what Alkaios told us? Specifically, the part where he mentioned where The Invictus was. Personally, it's got me a little interested, although that may be due to me wanting to know their actual motives." After voicing his thoughts, he leaned down and tore another chunk off his already half-eaten meal, silently awaiting his companion's reply.

The Espeon let out a reflexive sigh, turning her head towards the ceiling for a few moments, then looking at the Disaster Pokémon. "I'm not entirely sure, actually. On one hand, What he said got me interested in seeing their work, but at the same time, I don't know about that decision. And besides, I'm not entirely sure about what Vadimas would have to say about it." Celestine seemed to be discouraged, because if her tone wasn't a dead give away, then her expression surely was.

Pathos, to his surprise, almost instinctively attempted to comfort her, assuming she was disheartened. "Well, I'm sure we can figure something out. I mean, what kind of reason would he have to oppose that, right?" he said, putting up an exuberating act in his endeavor to encourage the Sun Pokémon.

The Espeon sniffled. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. It won't do me any good to sit here and dwell on something so bleak. Thanks, Pathos," she retorted, tilting her head and giving him a bright smile that gave the Absol a sense of pride in his actions, as if he finally did something correctly.

Once again, a stillness developed between the two Pokémon as they drifted back into their personal bubbles, eating away at their meals, Pathos making sure to eat slowly and savor every last bite, while Celestine seemed to look past that and only at filling her stomach. While doing so, the Absol simply began to think, _What was that about?! It's almost as if I couldn't stop myself from trying to bring her up. Maybe it's just a figment of my imagination, but I really was caught off-guard by my own actions. What is going on...?_

The lavender feline must have been made curious by his attitude towards the meat, as she noticed his slow progress on his food compared to her. She pitched her head to the side, saying, "Is something wrong with your meal, Pathos? I can always tell Alexio if you want, I'm sure he can do something about it."

The Absol was thrown from his mind, and soon after glanced up at her with a tender expression, all the while shaking his head. "No, it's not that. It's just... I've never really had any kind of meat. In fact, I'm not sure I ever have. I've always had to fend off of scraps that I found. So this is a very welcome pleasure, but it feels so wrong, after how I've been eating, even more so because it's a free meal."

She gave him a sympathetic nod. "Yeah. Although I've never been in that kind of situation, I imagine that it would not be the most ideal way to live. Well, just make sure you enjoy it while it lasts, because it won't go on forever." In response, Pathos nodded, only continuing on his meal. After that, the two didn't share many more words for the rest of the time they ate.

* * *

The two ate for around another thirty minutes before finishing up, thanking Alexio for their food, and made their way out, where Celestine began on what they should do first that day. Pathos was especially curious, because it was practically his first day actually as a supposed part of society.

The Espeon stretched out, groaning in the process, before pronouncing, "Well, I think the first thing we should do before anything else is go check my inventory at the storage building to see what all I have left there. Hopefully something like apples or even a few berries would be nice after that meal."

The Absol tilted his head and looked at the Sun Pokémon, curious as to what she meant. "Storage? What could you need to go get things for? Are you heading somewhere?" he inquired. She shook her head rapidly. "No, it's not that I'm going anywhere, at least not soon, I don't think. I just want to make sure I have supplies when I do head off somewhere next. Future proofing, yeah?"

Pathos nodded his reply. "I guess that would make sense to do." The Disaster Pokémon scratched behind his blade, continuing, "Well, if there's nothing else for us to do here, then you should lead the way there." Celestine nodded afterwards. "Ah, yes, that is a good idea," she replied before the two finally made their way off.

The Dark-type only partially paid attention to those around him, because he was primarily in his mind, as always. _I can't seem to figure out why, but for some reason, I feel almost like... like I can act how I want, and not need to worry about being held back by others. But why is this? Celestine and Vadimas are the only ones that have treated me even remotely like someone who matters._ He shifted his gaze upwards in a great arc of thought. _Well, I guess I shouldn't dwell on it for now. I'm sure I'll find a good answer in due time._

Within a few minutes of walking from their previous location, the party arrived at their next destination, which, oddly enough, looked a lot like the restaurant they were just at, excluding a few minor details, such as different corner posts, a slightly newer looking patio out front, and a large sign beside the door that registered it as a different building.

Pathos turned his head to the Espeon. "So... this is where it's at? The storage? It looks kinda... bland, if you ask me," he said, hinting at the familiar exterior. Celestine nodded in retort, saying, "Yeah, well, it seems that when constructing some of the buildings around town, they just followed one exterior design. I personally don't understand why, but whatever, it works, doesn't it?"

He stayed quiet, since he had nothing better to say in response, causing the situation to grow awkward. "O-oh, well, let's just go right on in. The more time we spend here, the less time we have to help out around town. I always like to start at a certain time, and I'm not too fond of breaking that tradition," the Sun Pokémon uttered in an uncomfortable tone before making her way inside, with the Disaster Pokémon shortly in tow.

Inside, the interior was far different than Pathos expected to see. Unlike the diner, where it was nice and refurbished to look cozy, the storage looked very old and worn down, with little to no investment in repair, yet it somehow managed to stay in acceptable condition. Aside from that, at one end of the building were booths of differing sizes, with different heights and widths taken into account, with a Pokémon of adequate size to accommodate each counter.

Celestine lead him over to the second to last stall, which was also the second shortest, starring a gecko with a long leaf extending from its head, as well as three small leaves attached to the side of both arms. The Espeon was gleeful to encounter them, as she said, "Ah, hello, Gaia. It's nice to see you here. How is everything going?"

Shuffling with a few papers on the counter, the Grovyle replied in an almost raspy, feminine voice, "Ah, Celestine. I'm doing decently. While I personally have been pretty well, it seems that things have been a little rough for everyone lately, and no one has a single clue. Maybe it's just their imagination, but, oh well. I suppose you didn't come here to just talk? You'd like to do something with your storage, correct?"

The Sun Pokémon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's what I was hoping. I'd like to check what all I have leftover in here, if it's not too much to ask," Celestine voiced, sitting down to not stress her body by standing. The Wood Gecko smiled, saying, "Yeah, that's fine. But I must ask, who is this curious guy you have with you? I don't ever recall seeing him around before," she inquired, referring to the Absol.

The Psychic-type glanced at Pathos for an instant, and then back at the gecko. "Ah, him? Yeah, he is relatively new here. Only just today is he going around town with me to get to know about things around here. It seems to have worked so far, and after this, we're gonna go around town and help out to pass the time," she responded.

Gaia waited a few seconds before saying the most important detail. "Well, with that out of the way, I'll be back in a bit while I check what you have, so stay put." The Grovyle turned and made her way through a door behind the booths.

Pathos was left rather confused in the midst of the very recent events. _This just is beginning to feel very awkward, standing here as I listen to them talk about me. As a matter of fact, why did I follow Celestine in here in the first place? I don't think she's holding me here, so what is it that made me decide to come? There is no benefit, at least, I do not believe there to be. It's getting to the point where I'm questioning every single one of my actions, but only after they are made. What is happening with me?_

He decided not to try and think about the ordeal, and as such, retreated from his thoughts, where he was relieved to find that the Sun Pokémon did not seem to suspect that he was having an internal conflict, as he was sure that he had at least some confusing expression on his face, or, at the very least, a pensive one, or even a thousand-yard stare. Whatever the case was, it seemed that the Grass-type would not be back for some time, and as such, perhaps he should try and at least alleviate the tension.

"So... you seem to be rather acquainted with her. Have you known her for a while?" the Disaster Pokémon inquired, almost startling the Espeon due to the previous silence. "O-oh, Gaia? Yeah, for some time at least. She only recently started working here, and it seems that she quickly picked up exactly how to do things, it's incredible. I'm happy for her, she seems to enjoy her job," Celestine responded in a rather sentimental tone.

Pathos nodded, taking it in. "From what it seems, you two are good friends as well." He grinned at that thought. "I bet that feels incredible, having someone there for you..." the Absol half-whispered, but unintentionally loud enough for the Sun Pokémon to make out that he mumbled something. "Huh? what did you say there?" Her comment made his fur stand on end. He had gotten careless and leaked personal information. "N-no, it's nothing, don't worry about it!"

The Psychic-type raised an eyebrow at that, but decided not to prod. "Well, alright, just speak up if you're conflicted with something." When she looked away, he let out a tremendous sigh, at least, it seemed like one to him. _What am I thinking, spouting things like that? There would have been no benefit to her knowing that, and I know it. So, why...?_

He didn't have time to attempt and figure that out, because the Grovyle chose to show back up now, carrying in her claws a sheet of paper, which she was studying until she stopped just short of the booth, where she placed it down, saying, "Well, I hate to say it, but you don't really have much left, as I accounted for just a few apples and an Oran berry. Sorry about that."

Celestine shook her head at that, and replied, "No, it's okay, I wasn't hoping to see too much left, just a brief checkup to see what I have should I need to withdraw some things. it's no big deal, so don't worry about it. Thanks." The Absol was rather curious why she wasn't too interested in seeing whether or not she still had some items left, but rather to see if she had stuff left in case she needed it, and didn't get discouraged when told she didn't have much to spare.

The Wood Gecko waved it off, smirking. "Don't mention it, just doing my job. Is there anything I could help you with, or is that all?" The feline nodded affirmingly. "Yeah, that was all I needed for today. But, really, thanks for helping out, I appreciate it!"

Gaia smiled at that. "Oh, my pleasure. Have a good rest of the day, you two!" she replied as Celestine motioned for Pathos to follow her, but before he did, he stopped for a moment, as if mesmerized by something, before snapping out of it and running after the Espeon. Once the two made it outside, the white canine questioned seriously, "So wait, why weren't you brought down by the fact that you have hardly anything left in storage? As a matter of fact, why was it you seemed to expect that outcome?!"

The Sun Pokémon let out a slight chuckle, confusing the Absol even more. Before he could speak one syllable, she turned to him, smiling brightly. "I honestly thought you would've figured it out by now, but I guess I'll have to elaborate, huh?" For a brief moment of time, she looked thoughtful, but returned to her happy expression shortly. "I didn't pay attention to what all I had left, because I rushed out of the building before I was told. But afterwards, I discerned that I probably wouldn't have much left after withdrawing so much. Anyways, that's probably all information you didn't care to hear. See, all the provisions I brought you when you first awoke came from me, and well, my storage."

Pathos was completely in disbelief. "Pardon me?" he asked, to which Celestine replied, "What do you mean? All I did was withdraw my own things and brought them to you." He was left completely speechless. He could not comprehend what he had just been told. She... wasted her own supplies on someone like _him_? But why? Why would someone bother to even bat an eye at someone like him? Everybody hated him, right? Wasn't that the way his life was supposed to be? Nothing but pain and betrayal by everyone? Surely this was just another one of those facades, being put up only for one's own benefit.

The Disaster Pokémon could barely manage to move his lips to form any words, but was able to pull it off. "You... you did that? For someone like me? Why me, of all people, to waste such large amounts of food on? Surely there would have been others around here that needed it more than I?" He took on a stance as if he was going to pounce, having finally snapped. ""Arceus... you... you've been so kind towards me that it's almost starting to get on my nerves! I don't understand—what did I do to deserve such luxuries?!" Once more, he changed pose, but this time, lowered himself into a solemn one, with a few tears just able to be made out on his face, the rest of the world around him no longer relevant. "Why can't you be like all the others, and just outright show your distaste in my presence?"

He turned so that the Espeon was just barely in his field of view, and looked to the sky. "I don't know what forced me to dash out to rescue you from that mystery dungeon. Maybe it's because I felt I needed to help, or maybe it was to return the favor, but in reality, I can't see my logical reasoning behind that. It's actually like that for many thoughts of mine. To answer the question you asked yesterday, yes, I cried when you brought me all those fruits and royalties, but only because of how you reached out to help." Pathos sighed, and once again looked at the now expressionless Sun Pokémon. He bit his lip at the thought of what he was going to say. "Do you know what it's like, being treated like crap your entire life by everyone you come across? Sure, by now, I have gotten used to it, but now that I have ran into you and Vadimas, I've been on the edge, expecting something to happen like it always does, but it just never seems to come greet me. I can hardly stand it. So just answer me one thing: why?"

The Absol simply stood there, patiently awaiting Celestine's response to his speech, which he was willingly given by her a minute later, whose expression became very stern. "...I don't think I can say that I am fit to say that I understand how you feel, and that I recognize your hostility, so allow me to reassure you that I'm not trying to fool you. I'm not positive about Vadimas, but I'm willing to bet he feels the same. When I found you stranded and passed out in the desert, I just knew I had to help. Sure, I had no obligation to do so, and yet I did it regardless. Maybe it's in my nature to be so kind towards others, or perhaps it could be that I just simply care enough to bat an eye at the very least." She smiled brightly at the Disaster Pokémon before continuing after a sudden pause. "I had no money on me at the time, and I still wanted to help you in some way, and at that very moment, all I could think of was giving you what I had. I also have no regrets for my actions, so you can quote me on that."

Shaking her head quickly, she changed tone, to one a bit softer and more calming. "I do really appreciate your decision to come after me the other day. I don't know your cause for rescuing me, nor do I care to know. What matters is that you did it, and it shows that you truly do have the kindness within you to take matters into your own hands and make your own decisions, instead of having your life molded by strangers who only assume at first glance. I say this because from what it seems, you haven't had it very well, and it's gotten to you. I cannot speak for you, but I believe that deep inside, you know that you really do have a choice in how you live your life. You're just refusing to see it."

The Sun Pokémon looked the Dark-type directly in the eyes. "You want to know why I helped you out, but you also once said that you don't know what it was about you that made me waste time on you. Well, I helped you out, because when I look at you, I see someone that feels like they are locked behind closed doors, when all you need to do is push one open to reveal your freedom. I was trying to help ease you into finding that out, but it seems you are more stubborn than that. You don't have to accept me and Vadimas' help, just try to acknowledge that we really are on your side, and not with the enemies you seemed to reference. So please, stop trying to push us away when we try to help."

Her words shot right through Pathos. Never before had such encouraging and supportive things been pronounced to him so openly, but on top of that, they sounded so genuine, further adding on to the Psychic-type's credibility. Not only had Celestine practically convinced him of her reply's meaning, she didn't even care whether or not he decided to trust her. The Absol felt an incredible sensation within his body, one he had never gotten in touch with before. The feeling was so strong, he nearly broke down into tears right there, but he refused his body that action.

After what seemed to be hours, but was really only a couple of minutes, Pathos conjured his response. "O-oh, I... I see. Um, well, thanks for answering my question, it means a lot, I suppose. I... I'm sorry for my little outbreak there. I'm not sure what the hell got into me. I said a few things I really probably shouldn't have. I... some of my comments were really kind of cutting. So, I apologize for that as well." He could not believe how quickly he had calmed from his rage, nor how politely he just started acting. But, in a way, despite how nice he seemed to be acting, he was somewhat saddened inside. He really had been damaged by the way he was always treated. He decided that he would only take a little nibble of the supposed truth, attempting to accept it, and see where it would take him. Maybe he really was refusing to see a set of unlocked doors in front of him.

The Espeon seemed to already be out of the whole mess, and said, "Well, are you okay enough to go around town with me and help out? It would be appreciated, but no one is forcing you to come with. So, what do you say, are you up to the task?" The Absol seemed lost for a moment before coming to his senses and nodding his head. "Oh, yeah, I'm well enough, I believe. Let's go, then." With that, the two shared no more words and silently made their way off to start their day of work.

* * *

"Ugh, my back, it aches so much... How can you possibly stand to do this so much, and so often at that?" The duo had finished their work for the day, leaving Pathos in a world of pain, while Celestine was completely fine. The Absol had no clue the Sun Pokémon had such physical endurance. "Are you really that strained? I guess you really have only recently recovered, but still. You really are out of shape, huh?" The partners sat down in a bit of an outskirt of the village to take a partial rest.

The Absol bared his teeth, but only in annoyance. "Well, whatever. We've finished our task, and it actually felt rather satisfying, as odd as it seems," he responded after retreating his expression. His statement made his companion beam with glee. Pathos was astonished how it was only a good four hours before that he had completely blew up at Celestine. He still felt deep regret for his actions, something he had never dealt with before. It was quite possible he was changing for the better, and quickly, at that. But how could she, of all candidates, pull it off so easily, as if it were just another walk in the park? There were plenty of things that he had yet to understand, and maybe it was better off this way. He wasn't sure.

The Espeon chuckled. "Well, I'm kinda beat. Would you like to head back now, or are you still willing to go around and do things? I'm not up to it really, since I'm now a little hungry and thirsty, but we sure can go on for a bit more," she proclaimed, looking at him. The Disaster Pokémon shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me what we do. But personally, I wish for a bit of relaxation on something a little more than dirt."

Celestine nodded, acknowledging his desire. "Yeah, that's perfectly acceptable. I can lead the way for you, or you could stay for a bit and head back on your own after me while you explore for a bit longer, it's your choice." Pathos tilted his head in contemplation. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go around and get to know the place more or just head back, even though he was wanting to sit for a bit longer. But, after a bit of thought, he made his final decision.

"Well, I'm going against what I want here, but I wouldn't mind heading back with you now. If it's alright, I mean." Despite how much he wanted to, he just couldn't bring himself to bring up that he felt horrible for how he acted. Sure, she didn't seem to mind, but that didn't help how he took the whole ordeal. At least he was willing to give this a shot, and maybe learn more about her.

She smiled. "Of course it's alright, no need to worry at all, so just follow me." The Espeon made an about-face and headed off, with the half-solemn Pathos right behind her. He only paid attention to the world surrounding him when he needed to while he began to think. _Earlier, when I nearly broke down there, what did she think about what I said? I know what she said, and I still do, but in her head, what was her opinion? And even then, I still have shreds of doubt scattered within my consciousness. It may grow, or it may fade, I'm not for sure which will happen. I just hope things don't go to shit like always..._

The pair leisurely took their time heading back to the tent, taking different paths, alleys and sometimes stopping to look at a few stands that were set up by Pokémon looking to make a bit of cash to sustain their life. This continued for around 15 minutes before they arrived back at the marquee, where, as they expected, Vadimas had yet to return.

The two Pokémon wandered in, and with no sign of the Slowking, Pathos said, "Well isn't this just mighty vexing, eh? I suppose he didn't give a definite answer of when he'd be back, but still, for Arceus sake, don't make it take forever to do something." Celestine leapt up onto the suspended bed. From there, she looked at the Absol and said, "Well, I'm not sure how long we'll be here, so why don't you sit down or lay down or whatever while we wait?"

This, Pathos completely agreed with. In no way whatsoever did he object that proposition. So, he made his way over to the pile of hay that the Espeon used the night before, and curled up onto it. Now ignoring what's around him, he closed his eyes, and entered thought. _So... from what it seems, life is kicking my legs out from underneath me. In a way, I no longer have control over it. But why was this the course that it chose to follow? All it's done is leave me in confusion._ He partially opened one of his eyes, and watched Celestine. She seemed to be examining the desk that held most of what Vadimas had. The Absol huffed. Would he get some enjoyment out of life soon? He wasn't sure.

After finally prepping the bed and laying down, the Sun Pokémon voiced, "So, I know that I already asked you this, but have you decided what to do yet? I mean, there's no point in aimlessly wandering around, searching for something to do. I just don't see how you can solidify anything when you're up and about before you make plans. I would really like to have a definite answer."

Pathos let out a sigh, not entirely willing to give an answer. "Well, giving solidified answers really isn't my specialty, I'll have you know. But, I'll at least try." He sat up, somewhat stretching out. "So... I guess I have no reason not to stick around for a bit. I still feel kind of uncomfortable, because of... well, you know. But also more than just that. I also detect a bit of negative attitude towards me. While it's most certainly not the most significant thing, it's still there. But just remind yourself that I never said that I plan to absolutely one hundred percent stay here. I may choose to leave eventually."

Celestine put on a bit of a frown. "Oh, okay then. That isn't exactly what I expected to hear, but it's good enough." She paused for a second, before returning to the conversation. "But, you know, I'm not sure what I want to do either. I'm almost the opposite of you. I don't know how I feel about sticking around for much longer. I almost want to get up and go around, see if I can come across something in this miserable dump. That's actually why I like to go around and explore."

This struck him as quite interesting. Surely, she would have preferred being around the townsfolk a bit more than just going out into the vast emptiness of the desert. In a way, he could somewhat understand her feelings about it, but not enough to provide sufficient evidence.

While Pathos wasn't sure about how that worked out, it was obvious she has a sense of exploration, and wishes to fulfill it when she can. But what use was it to tell him? It's not like he has had anything to do with it, right? The Absol decided to try and find out, saying, "Well, that is a little interesting, but what does telling me this gain you? What were you hoping to accomplish with that?"

The Sun Pokémon bit her lip. "If I'm entirely honest with you, I don't know. I just... felt like I should have said it, and I did. Did you not want to hear that from me for some reason? If you didn't, I'm sorry." The tone of her voice made him feel bad about how he responded. Not only did he not think about what he was going to say, it wasn't even a nice statement.

The Absol shook his head in regret. "No, I—look, that's not how I meant for it to come out. It's not that I didn't want to hear you say something, or that I was opposed to your response, I just don't see why you would feel the need to give me that information. Like, are you trying to get a certain message across subtly, and I'm just not getting it?" he inquired, attempting to correct his mistake.

Celestine looked off in thought, and didn't reply for a few moments. "In a way, yes, I am. But... how do I put it... Well, I'm just going to be outright with you. See, I've been thinking, ever since Alkaios told us about The Invictus, I've just been so intrigued about what goes on, as I mentioned earlier. Considering the fact that they also take on certain tasks, it just makes me want to know more about what they do. If the people who work there have the chance to help out others, and try to make things better for everyone, well... I want to be part of it."

Pathos was taken aback. She wanted to see if she could find herself a position at The Invictus? This was completely out of the blue! Notwithstanding, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it was obvious how she was considering it from the moment the Machamp's words fell upon her ears. It's just that he was being ignorant, and as such, completely overlooked the concept. It made sense that she would want to go and reach out for others, but on a scale like this...?

"But is that really a wise choice? As you said yourself, what would Vadimas have to say about it? Don't you think he would advise against it, considering the recent things that have happened to you? I firmly believe that he would undoubtedly refuse that notion altogether. What makes you think he will agree to let you go?" he asked, so very curious as to how she was getting her motivation.

She huffed, saying, "I just do, alright? If he can't accept that I have things I want to do in life, then so be it! But, the least he could do is give me the freedom to make my own choices. It's not like he would understand the desire to care for others and do everything you can for them, especially when no one else would, even if he is the doctor around here." She turned away from the Dark-type, obviously a little annoyed. "But, I don't think you know that kind of longing either, and I can't hold that against you if that's true. Just—please don't try to hold me back."

The Disaster Pokémon felt a twinge of regret for his words once more. This seemed to be something personal for her, something that she wanted to do, if nothing else. Because Celestine just didn't want to back down one bit, Pathos had decided that he lost this one, and gave up. "Yeah, sorry. I guess I really hadn't considered that maybe it was something I couldn't change. Just don't let it consume your reasoning."

She nodded at that. "Yeah, no, it's alright. I do my best to not let things like that take over me, and rid me of my reasoning. But sometimes, it just gets far too overwhelming for me to keep it all in. But whatever. I'm sorry you had to see me getting frustrated like that, it probably doesn't help your situation much."

Hush emerged between the two, with nothing more to be said. When it went on for around twenty minutes, with Pathos scanning his mind for various subjects to think about, and Celestine simply closely examining the inside of the tent like she had just seen it, the Absol was about to scream in boredom. However, only moments before, he could make out a slight groan coming from outside, with slight vocals being able to be made out shortly after. From what it looked like, the Espeon had heard it too.

"Arceus, what a pain that whole trip was... Such an immense amount of time thrown away for such inconclusive results..." The two Pokémon looked at each other after that, instantly recognizing the sleepless voice.

In through the draped opening walked Vadimas, who actually for once looked as tired as he sounded. The Slowking placed down on the desk his bag, before spotting Pathos and Celestine, and exclaiming, "Oh, you two are here. Well, that does make things a bit easier, means I don't have to go out and look for you." He turned to the Dark-type, and asked, "Pathos, how are you feeling? Is everything feeling alright? Nothing seems to be out of place, and you can move around just fine? I just don't want to hear that anything bad happened to your insides while I was gone."

He shook his head in reply. "No, I'm quite alright, actually. I don't feel any kind of scraping or pain when moving about, if that's what you were looking for." Vadimas expelled air in consolation. "Well, that's great. One less thing I need to worry about. What about you Celestine, is there anything you need?"

She bit her lip nervously. "Well, not necessarily, but if you're willing to sit down and listen, then sure." This caught the Royal Pokémon's attention, as he pulled the chair out from under his desk and sat down on it, ready to hear what she had to say.

Celestine swallowed. "So, earlier today, Basileus and the other two left after someone showed up at the diner where we encountered the group, and apparently they're heading back to some organization they work for called The Invictus. I mean, I'm not entirely sure, but, I am actually kind of interested in what they do there, and since there's a chance they help others out, well, that sounds like something I want to take part in."

For a bit, the Slowking only stayed put, not making a sound or moving an inch. But, before the Espeon could ask what was wrong, he stood up rather violently, and spouted, "The answer is no. You cannot go. I will continue to deny that request from here on out. I refuse to change my mind about that, if you were wondering. I'm sorry, but I just can't allow you to go up and about and think it's a game, because it isn't."

She gritted her teeth harshly, and in response, exclaimed, "And why not, huh? Is it something about me? Is it likely because of what happened? Is it because you don't trust me enough? Or is it because you're lonely and have no one to converse with? What could I have ever done to force you to deny me this?!"

Vadimas was somewhat taken aback by her sudden change in tone, but quickly turned that around into a hiss, and replied, "No, it isn't anything that has to do with you, at least, not for the most part. Look, let me say that I don't trust The Invictus. I say this as much as I can for only having heard about them. Some of the things said about what they do just don't seem to make sense." The dino-like Pokémon turned to her. "Look, I just don't want to let you go, and end up regretting it."

Celestine backed off a tad, but was still holding her ground. "Okay, sure, you're worried about me, so what? Does that just automatically give you the right to force me away from doing what I want? So far, there isn't any evidence suggesting that I can't just come right back if it doesn't interest me like I believe it to! And, let's be honest, I've made it this far, so what in your mind is telling you that I can't make this trip? Not enough supplies at my disposal? Easily fixed by gathering up the materials needed. Not rested enough? I can always sleep and wait for the next day to come. From my knowledge, I doubt there is anything that you can back up enough to make me want to stay here!"

Pathos' mouth was agape. He had no clue that the Sun Pokémon could get so worked up. Just what on earth was the drive behind her motive? Here she was, yelling at the one Pokémon he suspected to get along with her most, fighting against him with her own thoughts and opinions. This was a conversation he would gladly opt out of, if only because he was afraid of what would happen to him if he did.

"I—look, I can understand your anger, but please, just try to think about this for a second. Consider the consequences this could have on you, or the people you've met. Think about the people that will be saddened by your departure. What if you got stuck out there, and you had no way of calling out for help against anyone. How would that make you feel?" Vadimas struck back at Celestine, attempting to use his own reasoning to back her down. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't going to work.

The Espeon almost seemed like she was going to turn hostile. "But is that a concern when I'm over here, trying to earn the freedom to make my own decisions? Because, as it stands right now, it sure does feel like I'm being controlled mercilessly by you! You're smart, you know a lot of things, yet you don't seem to know how to back off and let someone enjoy life for once!"

Finally, the Slowking had nothing left to say. No matter how much he attempted to create some kind of counter-argument, it just wouldn't come. He accepted defeat, and reluctantly said, "I—it's just—" He sighed. "Alright, you win... I... I suppose that maybe have been inconsiderate for too long, and it's time for me to change my ways. I'm sorry for that frustration. But, at least take your time in planning what you'll be doing, and how to go about doing so, okay?"

His pronouncement settled her down considerably. After a few seconds of deep breathing to finish it off, she nodded and said, "Y-yeah, it's alright. I'll do the best I can to take into consideration what to do. But, what I really need right now is a bit of time alone. I just need to spend some time to not only think about this whole trip, but attempt to cool myself off and be civil again. So I'll be taking my leave, then." She got up, and left the tent without another word being said.

Vadimas groaned and fell onto the rickety chair behind him, emitting a sound that made Pathos believe it would break on the spot. "Arceus, why in the world is she so eager to go? That whole talk was a complete mess, and now I feel like shit." He stayed completely silent for a little bit before he sat up, gave the Absol a look, and stated, "Look, I just cannot let her go off on her own like this, especially not out in the wilderness. Could you at the very least accompany her on her journey?"

Pathos was a little unsure about that request. Why would he choose him to go with her? "I can see your concern for Celestine, but why would you ask _me_ to do this? You're the one worried most about her, so why don't _you_ accompany _her_? Don't you think that perhaps that makes a bit more sense?" the Disaster Pokémon pronounced.

Vadimas put on a distant look. "Well, yes, but..." He seemed to be struggling to put words together, but managed to say, "Look, there are certain tasks that I need to do, and things I can't leave unattended. I really can't say much, but could you at least return me this favor for helping save your life, if nothing else?"

The Dark-type groaned in reply, but said, "I guess I can do that much. As you said, I owe you. But just one thing: from what it seems, and from what you've said, you're actually pretty ignorant of her desires, either that or you just don't care. I'm not one to speak about this, but I suggest you change that outlook. As she left the tent, her eyes gave off a glint that I know all too well. It's up to you to figure out what I mean."

Pathos turned around, huffed before pausing for a bit, and then said, "Oh, and take care. Wouldn't want to see your crusty ass fall off the face of the planet soon, as I'm sure Celestine wants to see you sometime again if she does get to join The Invictus. See you." The Absol left shortly after, leaving behind the Slowking, who leaned his head back, and mumbled, "Just what kind of affect could this have on my life, and just how significant is it?"

* * *

It took him quite a bit of time to find the Espeon, albeit primarily because of the fact he was completely lost, and came across her by luck. She was currently talking to the vendor of some kind of stand, a convenience one, he assumed. She seemed to be stocking up on things, as hanging from around her neck was a bit of a sack, enough to hold only a select few items. Celestine finished her conversation, and turned to see the Disaster Pokémon approaching. "O-oh, hey Pathos. I'm really sorry you had to hear that back there. I suppose you came to check on me and make sure I'm alright?"

"Well, as much as I'm sure you wish that was the case, and while that is somewhat true, it's mainly because Vadimas sent me after you, because I'm supposed to go with you to The Invictus. I tried to get him to do it himself, but it didn't work, and I also owe him for helping me out. So, here I am."

She nodded her head in acknowledgment. "Ah, okay then. Well, I'm just about ready to go, I've restocked on a few vitals from this store here, withdrew my stuff from my storage, and I just need to go ahead and conjure a plan to go through with this. Well, that mainly means to think of how well this will work out to venture out twenty miles in the given direction."

He tilted his head, curious. "Well, I mean, what else could there be to that than just walking, with breaks here and there. It can't be too hard, yeah?" Celestine shook her head. "Well, kind of, but you've got to account for the fact that we won't be operating at peak performance if we're hungry, thirsty, etc. It's not just 'walk there and celebrate'."

Pathos supposed that made more sense than what he had come up. Maybe he was just really used to traveling on an empty stomach with little to no water for so long. This certainly would be a new experience for him, to be able to not only journey freely, but also have sustenance to go with it. Perhaps things really were taking a turn for the better.

Shaking his head to regain focus on the conversation, the Absol said, "Well, I don't want to be keeping you here any longer than you wish to, so lead the way, alright?" This made her chuckle a little, which was actually a little warming for him to see. "Yeah, yeah, don't you worry. It almost sounds like you're really eager to go, so I'll do my best to make it happen soon," the Sun Pokémon said, before motioning Pathos to follow her.

After this, the group made their way around, gathering a multitude of items, sometimes in exchange for labor, or even sometimes even out of the donor's kindness. The two planned a course of action, which involved savoring as much of their items unless needed, and taking a break just after walking for an estimated four hours, and then continuing on for the rest of the excursion.

They situated themselves at the north-west edge of town, which was one of the more abandoned areas, be it for lack of new residents, or just because the goods are farther in the village. Celestine plopped down on the partially dusty ground, and gazed up at the sky, trailing the few clouds that were scattered across it. She then closed her eyes and turned her head down, and spoke. "Well, here I am, about to journey off towards a place I've only just recently heard of, thus leaving the place I've lived in for as long as long as I can remember. I really hope this will be worth it."

It was audible from her tone that she may have had a few regrets about her decision, but felt this goal was important enough to live with those regrets. Pathos wondered if he could be like that some day, being able to let his actions go, and rush towards a goal he had set for himself. He shrugged. Perhaps it was best not to think about that right now.

"Well, do you think we should begin making our way there right now? It's bound to be quite dark by the time we arrive," the Disaster Pokémon inquired. Celestine shrugged at that. "Well... yeah, but I can't help but wonder just how rude it is to leave without saying anything, but then, when I think about it, if I heard what the townspeople had to say, I'd probably end up wanting to stay even more than I want to go. And right now, I don't want that to be the case. So, yes, I'm ready," she said.

He put on a small grin. "Alright, then. Just make sure to stop sulking before we arrive, because that would probably lower your chance of recruitment." She nodded. "Yeah, I've got it, no worries." The Espeon stood up, stretched a bit, and then began taking her first steps off towards the unknown, with Pathos shortly in tow.

However, not long after starting, the Absol asked, "So... may I ask what pushed you to go about doing this? I mean, your outburst was so sudden, and you could have replied to Vadimas casually, but you refused, and snapped. What was that about?"

Celestine bit her lip. "Well... I'm not so sure myself, but perhaps it's because I made the assumption that if I join The Invictus, then I could help out many others, and that's something I very much would like to do, as you know quite well by now. And since Vadimas at first denied me that, I really felt the need to assert my opinion and desire, even if it meant raising my voice to get through to him."

Pathos looked away, now in thought about that encounter. She was a bit on edge the whole day, and it almost seemed that she genuinely understood where Vadimas was coming from, but still forced her side onto him. It probably wasn't the most effective way of going about her actions, but in the end, it worked, so what difference did it make? The Absol surely wasn't positive about the idea completely, but whatever, he figured.

When Celestine hadn't said anything for the next few minutes, he decided to once more delve into his mind to address one fact that had been bugging him all day: what was happening to his life? _As it stands, it's like my life is being guided by an ethereal force, yet I'm still here, able to make my own decisions, be it for good or for worse. Ever since I happened upon Celestine and Vadimas, I've taken a turn towards a brighter future, I feel. But how two complete strangers managed to convert my life after the thousands of others I've come across that have ridiculed and destroyed me, I don't know. It actually really hurts to concentrate on this. Without a shadow of a doubt, this isn't real, right?_

But he couldn't keep his mind from circling back to the near-breakdown he had in front of her at the bank, where he learned just how much she cared for his well-being. And no matter how much he tried to deny it, he knew deep inside that that was the real thing, that it had actually happened to him. Her words still rang inside his head...

"Whatcha thinking about over there? Something interesting?" Celestine said, nearly making his blood run cold. He snapped his head over to her. "O-oh, no, not really, I'm just dwelling on our conversation earlier, the one where I, well, you know... But that's beside the point. See, maybe you could just, like, pretend we didn't have that argument?"

Celestine was confused, and tilted her head. "What exactly do you mean by that? What use is there in forgetting it? It doesn't benefit either of us, and it almost sounds like you're ashamed of it. Is there something you wanted to talk about?" she asked, trying to help him out.

Pathos bit his lip. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Should he converse with her about it? Would he live to regret it? Well, whatever the case was, he decided that since it looked like his life was changing, than maybe he should to. "I—well, it's just—yes, there actually is. I don't like talking about this, but I guess if you're willing to help me out, I'll let it slide. Just, can you promise me to not nitpick everything?"

She nodded ecstatically. "Oh, yeah, don't worry, I'm all ears for helping out. I won't make you feel bad, alright?" Her tone of voice did marvels to reassure the Absol. He said, "Alright, well, I won't go all the way in, but I'll tell you some details. See, I'm not sure how much you've been able to gather, but I've been through hell in my life. I haven't lived a day without a single drop of animosity thrown at me. I've been beat up, torn apart, and denied too many times to count. After meeting you and Vadimas, I feel like... like my pieces are slowly being reformed and put back together. It isn't much, but... it's a feeling I've never once in the entire time I've spent in this world felt, and it's so powerful, it almost hurts."

It was only for a second, but Pathos swore he could see just a bit of sympathy glimmer in her eyes before disappearing. The two progressed a bit more before she made up her reply. "Once more, I cannot say I know how you feel, but it is extremely heartwarming to know that we've been able to make you feel like you're a puzzle piece finally fitted in. That aside, you make it sound like you have had it quite rough, and while I don't know exactly how, besides what you've told me, I can say for sure that I will do my best to at least make sure you know I won't turn against you."

The Disaster Pokémon smiled. Once more she had said something that had made him feel better. He wondered just how she managed to pull it off. It really didn't matter at that moment, after all, they needed to focus on the journey in front of them.

Silence fell again as they continued to walk. For a few more hours, Pathos tried to admire the surroundings, but all there was to see was the mostly clear sky—which was now quite dark, and filled with stars—barring a few swirling clouds that mesmerized him. He looked down to examine the mudcracks that lined the ground as far as the eye could see, and dragged a paw over them, producing a slight amount of dust, and leaving a nearly invisible trail behind. He had honestly never been out of this place, nor he has never seen any other kind of significant scenery, and at this point, it was really bland. That brought him to the topic of adventure. What was Celestine's opinion on it? He knew that she liked to go out for a while every so often, but what did she really think about it?

He decided to try and find out an answer to that question of his, and said, "Uh, hey Celestine, what do yo think about exploration, like, adventures and stuff? Are you interested in it, as I'm assuming to help many others out, you'd have to venture out for who knows how long to simply arrive ad help someone out, and possibly have something happen to them in that amount of time."

She nodded in affirmation. "Mhm! I actually very much enjoy it. You never know what you'll come across, whether it be an oasis, another civilization, or maybe you just might find a way out of this expansive desert. It's a stimulating thought for me, as I like to imagine just what I'll find. But I wonder, what are your thoughts on it?"

He gazed off towards the horizon. What _were_ his thoughts on on exploration? He'd never really considered the idea of it, seeing how he had been fighting to stay upright for a while, so it wasn't a surprise that he had no clue. It sounded a little appealing, although walking is such a pain for him to do. "Well, I think highly enough of it to consider it somewhat interesting."

It looked like she was about to give him a reply, but instead let out a leaden breath. "Um, hey, is everything alright, Celestine? You sound a little stressed. Is there something that you might, you know, want to talk about?" Pathos inquired in reply to her sigh, trying to be helpful.

"Uh?" she said, perking her ears up. "O-oh, well, perhaps. It's kind of a difficult problem for me to try and solve, and I'm not entirely sure just how much you can do to help me out with it, not that I'm doubting you. But, if you're so very much willing, then yes, I can share," she stated, looking over at the Absol.

He nodded. "Well, considering you spent the time to listen to what I had to say earlier, then it's only fair I do the same, so don't be too ashamed to tell me something, unless it's really personal. I can understand that all too well," Pathos retorted, gaining a bit of a smile from the Espeon.

"Okay, well, I don't fully know how to put this correctly, but I can try. So, while I say I want to go and join The Invictus and start helping people, the truth is... I actually have very little to no clue about how to go about doing things, and especially not where to start. I have a miniature idea of what I wish to do, but the full scale of it lies unknown to me. I'm trying to piece together this mystery, and just maybe I will get something out of it."

This was a bit of trouble for someone like him to try and solve. As someone who has had no real goal since, well, forever, he had not much to say. _D_ _espite the fact I have no true conception for this situation, perhaps there is something for me to say about this..._ Pathos cleared his throat. "Well, if we want to clear this up, we need to first address what you want to be doing. Why are you going?"

She jumped up and down a bit. "Oh, oh! That's an easy question to answer! I want to help plenty of people, but most importantly, I want to go out and be generous to as many Pokémon as possible, and try and save as many from death and starvation and whatever else they might be suffering with." She backed down a bit, and said, "Though, that does sound extremely difficult to achieve, but I think it just might be possible if I try as hard as I can."

He nodded, thinking. That truly did sound quite outrageous. But, he thought as he glanced at her, for someone as willing and determined as her, something so unworkable just might be something as simple as eating. But with that out of the way, it was time for the next step of his plan.

"Are there any additives you can produce? Like, say, rescuing others from disasters, or helping out after the storm passes? If we can form a basis to apply to your overall desire, we can be one step closer to solving this," he said, pushing onward.

She became more pensive. "Well, yeah, maybe recovering someone from, say, a fire, or, as I did with you, retrieve someone who's passed out from hunger, pain, suffering or whatnot, and any kind of ailment that has got them stuck somewhere, abandoned by everyone. Also, I'd like to be able to supply to those people as well, so, yeah."

Almost there, Pathos figured. he could see it in her eyes that she could feel some sort of development coming on. "Okay, so one last thing. How far are you willing to go, as in travel, to help out others? Locally, nationally, or worldwide?"

Celestine beamed. "Oh, most certainly all across the globe. It would take some time to do so, but I want to do it for sure. And one more thing, as well. See, I want to there to be just flat out peace. No fighting, no hostility, no suffering, no struggles, I want there to be serenity throughout."

The Dark-type looked up, while making sure to keep his stride straight. "Well, I have made what I could call my conclusion, although it's not the most significant. So, maybe you could be out for vengeance against the concept of evil and different levels of authority and classes. But, on top of that, you desire to reach out and get as many people as you can to treat everyone else with care, and have them in a stable state of being. You seek to be much more than an angel to those in trouble, and a guiding light to those who have strayed from their path. You want to be a lot like a motherly figure for others, and have an aura that cheers them up and have them open up to you, so you can help them the very best you can." He looked over at Celestine. "I know I regurgitated some of what you said, but I tried to summarize and create an idea like a goal. I hope it was sufficient enough for you."

She stayed quiet so long he actually thought he messed up, but then the Sun Pokémon started to chuckle a bit, and then said, "Yeah, I really, _really_ like that! It just seems so simple. I guess I was really just overthinking the subject in my head. Thanks for helping me out, Pathos, it means a lot."

Pathos smiled. He actually felt quite proud of his actions, and wasn't sure how to respond. However, he didn't think much of responding, as he tried to begin garnering thoughts and ideas to cogitate about, but was shortly interrupted by Celestine speaking up.

"Say, I realize that this is out of the blue, and maybe you don't want to talk about it, but do yo have any kind of ambition you wish to achieve?" This caught him off-guard. Him? Having an ambition? In his mind, it was very unlikely, but despite that fact, he wracked his kind to try and come up with something, but came out empty-handed, as he expected. "No, I don't, sorry. But this is your journey, not mine, so there's no need to be concerned about me."

She looked away, and said, "Ah, okay. Sorry on my part, then. Well, I hope you can discover one sometime soon." He grinned. _Yeah, I do to, Celestine. It must feel nice to have something to look forward to completing, because the satisfaction from achieving it must be phenomenal. An ambition just may be what I need to fully improve my life..._

After this, much silence ensued, although after about another hour, they stopped to take a break and refresh for about half an hour, chat a little, and took off again. For the next three hours after that, they hadn't said much to each other, but did share a few things. For how late it was, the area was lit up quite well, mostly due to the moon that hung overhead. Quite an enchanting light, Pathos thought.

However, his trance was cut short when Celestine suddenly spoke. "Oh, what's that off in the distance?" she exclaimed, motioning towards the horizon. At first, to him, nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary, but after letting his eyes adjust due to the darkness, his visual acuity sharpened enough for him to perceive something out of the ordinary, something that almost resembled a fortress.

Pathos was about to ask what that could be, when he noticed the Psychic-type had began rushing of towards the mysterious structure. "Wait, where are you going?" he shouted after her, dumbfounded by her actions. "Where else? To that object! There's nothing else it could be! It's The Invictus!" she shouted back excitedly.

Of course! Why hadn't it struck him before? What other kind of civilization could one hope to come across in this wasteland? Shaking his head, the Absol responded, "Well, at least try to tell me beforehand!" He too began to charge after it. Oddly, he felt excited. About what, he wasn't sure. What he was sure about was that their trek had nearly come to a close. But maybe it was closing in too fast. But, he considered, it didn't matter. So, he began to push himself even more to try and catch up with Celestine, and go towards what could only be their destination.

* * *

 **End of Chapter IV**


	6. Chapter 5: Advancement

**Chapter V:** **Advancement**

* * *

The two Pokémon had been in a dead sprint ever since they laid their eyes on the distant object. Pathos wasn't entirely sure just how much more he could take of this, because he was slowing down more and more, with Celestine taking the lead, getting farther and farther ahead. He let out one last huff before collapsing to the ground and managing to say, "Celestine, could we please take a short break? We've been running for Arceus knows how long, I'm exhausted, and my body feels like it's ready to shut down. It's really starting to get to me."

Halting to a stop, the Espeon gave a small pout, but turned around and said, "I suppose that's fine. We should have some food we can eat while we're at it as well, so we can refill and continue our dash." She made her way over to the Absol who was flat on the ground, and let her bag drop down from her neck.

"Is there anything in particular you'd like to have? It's a little too dark out here for my liking, so it's hard to see. I'll have to make rather rough guesses on what it is I'm grabbing out of here," she asked, sifting through the contents of the sack.

He sat in thought for a few brief moments, and when he came up with his desire, and said, "Well, I'm not particularly longing for anything, so maybe just an apple? Or how about a berry? I'm not really sure. Anything to fill me up and allow me to regain energy, I guess." Celestine nodded, and began sifting through the sack.

While she was busy, the Dark-type only gazed off, taking in the sight of the deep, deep blue sky, and the feeling of being free, able to do what he wished. Although, one of the more concerning factors to him at that moment was the temperature around them. The thing he didn't like about living in this Arceus-forsaken desert was that it got unbearably warm during the day, and frighteningly cold at night, unless one managed to insulate themselves, like back in the village. He felt bubbly at the thought of a comfortable bed to sleep on, but pushed away all thoughts about the cold, to prevent himself from taking too much notice.

He turned to the construction in the distance. He was sure he could barely make out some walls, but not much more. It was rather unbelievable, but he honestly couldn't get over the fact that this expedition would soon be over, and he would need to somehow magically produce a way to make it around, whether it be nomadic ways, or just exploitation of others. In a sense, he was almost going to miss the Sun Pokémon.

Pathos was no longer able to dream, as Celestine poked his shoulder, snapping him back to reality. "You seem like you are having a rather good vision there, but I suggest if you really want to eat, then do so." Pathos looked on the ground in front of him, where he could make out the silhouette of an apple, which he punctually started to nibble away at. Whilst he was doing this, the Psychic-type didn't do much herself, although she did look to be rather distant. The Absol began to observe her actions, curious of what she was up to. He was sure that she was still thinking hard and long about the decision she had made to go through with this operation.

Pathos took another bite out of the fruit. He wasn't sure why, but he almost enjoyed the presence of the Sun Pokémon, despite some of the things he has said to her, and his outburst many hours prior. He felt much more upbeat and up to the task when she was around, which he assumed to be part of her personality, and how it just shines so brightly. As much as Pathos hated to admit it, he knew she was a great person to hang out with.

It wasn't much longer until he had devoured his snack, and then they were off once more, yet again running at full speed. It really didn't take long for the walls to become more and more clear, further increasing in size from perspective. However, the more and more they ran, the more Pathos could continue pointing out individual details, like how there seemed to be _spikes_ placed atop the wall. Celestine sure appeared to be intrigued as well, because she had tilted her head, focused on the absorbing structure.

A little more time passed, and the party could not believe it—they had finally made it to their destination! In front of them resided an extremely tall fortress, whose walls could now be made out to be constructed from _logs_. How anyone could get so much of the delectably rare substance all the way out here was far beyond either of them. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be that the spires were just the individual logs being carved to a sharp point. But neither of those things attracted the most attention. What _did_ , however, were the two enormous golems standing in front of them, keeping watch for the drawbridge in the wall, which would extend over a rift dug out around the wall when lowered.

The two Pokémon focused upon the colossi that rose above them both. They were rather easy to make out in the dark, considering the fact that they both had parts all over their bodies that glowed a slight shade of yellow. Despite how dim the lights were, it was almost a wonder how they hadn't noticed them sooner through the darkness. Their feet were just solid blocks of rock that only looked like feet, which extended to the legs as well. Peering down from above were their lifeless yet glowing eyes, like candles in a dark room.

Pathos and Celestine were completely baffled on what to say, or how to react. The Golurk didn't seem to notice their presence, and, as a matter of fact, they hadn't even moved an inch since they arrived, completely unnerving them both. After a bit of thought that was exchanged between the two, it was decided that the Disaster Pokémon would make an attempt to address them, since it was obvious that there was some mystical essence to them, and that they should, at the very least, have a consciousness.

Swallowing hard, Pathos managed to bring himself to say, "Um, hello? Is it possible that we could be allowed to enter here?" Although, as much as the Disaster Pokémon wanted it to work, he wasn't entirely sure about what the answer would be in this situation, if only due to the fact that he had ta sinking feeling that something might go awry.

After a few seconds of nothing happening, the Absol decided that it wasn't worth their effort, seeing as he could have just tried to converse with a statue, but as he turned and was about to tell Celestine that it would be of no use, there was a loud _clang_ as the two Automaton Pokémon began to whir to life, slowly clasping and relaxing their hands, a bit of dust being shaken off, their actions closely synchronized. The lights being emanated from their bodies commenced the process of getting brighter and brighter, until the surrounding area was sufficiently lit up.

The duo stood back in fear, the instantaneous animation of the Golurk being out of this world to them. One of the two giants made a weird clicking noise, and then another banging noise, where it knelt and slammed a fist into the ground beside them before it let out an eerie slur of words. "...Ye... State thy purpose in being within these premises... Ye will be dealt with accordingly, depending on how thou answers..." it said, dragging its vocals in a metallic tone.

Pathos and Celestine shared a few looks, and Pathos voiced a sheepish reply. "W-well, my... my friend here was interested in coming to this place, not to mention the fact that we were somewhat invited to arrive here, as well. She isn't entirely sure about her motives, and I'm only along for the ride, as a bit of a guardian, so to speak. If that is not enough of a reason to be let in, we certainly can leave."

A few seconds passed, and the Ground-type gave off a whir before turning to its partner, and as if by some unknown form of communication, they nodded and faced the drawbridge in unison, reached across, and began pulling it down with care, the wood being saved from treacherous breaks by the metallic straps holding the weathered planks together. When the front of the wood made contact of the ground, a set of doors could be made out further back, which began to mysteriously open, as if on their own. With their task now completed, the two golems returned to their original position, their lights dimming down once more.

Celestine laughed lightly and flashed him a grin, finally able to relax and speak freely. "Guardian, huh? Not bad, but your creativity could use some work," she said, her tone still trembling after the circumstances they just faced. As much as the Disaster Pokémon wanted to say something, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Once they finished their brief, one-sided conversation, and after they were sure that the Pokémon wouldn't suddenly arise once more, Celestine motioned for Pathos to follow her inside through the dual-layer walls, where they were greeted with a sight they had not expected to see. Instead of the heavily clustered, busy-even-at-night city they expected to see based on the overall area covered by the walls, there was naught but a lone, oversized shack in the middle of the practically deserted place, as well as tens, if not hundreds of odd glass domes embedded in the ground scattered about. Aside from the ones they just passed by, there were three more sets of doors, one set facing in each of the cardinal directions.

The Absol looked at his companion. She seemed to be just as confused as he was, and she said, "What... what is this? There's not a chance that this is all there could be here. If anything, that small building over there is our best chance, considering it's size, as well as its out of place appearance. What do you say we go check it out?" Pathos really felt no desire to disagree to her idea, and nodded. There was no point in denying her decision, seeing as she wasn't going to give up so easily. It was a little annoying, but he decided to keep pushing onward a little more.

They weaved their way around the domes—which upon further inspection, were shown to be covering holes with metallic substances inside each one—making sure not to step on any, and arrived in front of the curious structure. Pathos guessed it was around twelve feet tall, and maybe twenty wide. It was quite enticing, despite its bulky size. However, what he found most interesting would be the enormous double doors that were there, much like the ones that decorated the sides of the fortress walls.

Without any words said, the Absol pushed one of them open using his head, the door opening with relative ease. Inside, they found that it wasn't any kind of storage room, or a random building. In fact, it contained a staircase that spiraled downward, which was rather large, as well. Placed on the walls were some torches, each with an amber flame aiding in lighting the room up enough for decent visibility.

Pathos looked at Celestine, awaiting a decision, since he was here for her, not the other way around. After she gave him an affirmative nod, he began to make his way down the carefully molded stairs, finding that there were even more flames placed within the walls on the way down. When he thought about it, Pathos just couldn't keep his mind off of how weird this whole situation was. A staircase leading underground? Fortress walls that contained nothing more than a couple hundred glass domes and a shack? He wasn't sure just how this all pieced together, it was a complete mystery. If anything, though, Celestine seemed to be enjoying the whole experience, from what he had observed.

But, as if the construction around them wasn't enough for the Absol, Celestine spoke up to break the silence, confirming his suspicions. "Well, the whole journey over to this place has been a little weird, huh? We didn't expect it to come to this, and honestly, it's getting me pumped, anticipating for the next surprise. Although, I'm not so sure about you. You've been kind of quiet, and it's unnerving. Is something wrong? Like, anything you want to talk about?"

Pathos looked away in disdain. As much as he kept telling himself that she was different, not like anyone he'd come across, and that she was true to whatever she said, it did not change the fact that he had never been able to give someone his trust, or even receive kindness from them. It was always their goal to rip at his throat. But now that he was dealing with someone that has done neither of those things yet, Pathos just wasn't sure what to think anymore. Even then, there was the fact of his outburst. The many private things he had spouted by accident, the things he never meant to let free. And that's when he decided to seal his lips about it.

"No, no, it's just... I'm attempting to take it all in. The sights have been anything but what I expected so far, it's a bit much to process. Sorry if I caused you any concern," he responded, lying to keep her at bay, so that she did not pry at him much more, especially when his mind was racing. He managed to slow his thought speed down a little by focusing more on the staircase, as well as its lighting, how unique they were. Of course, this was coming from someone who had never seen much more than the sun as a form of lighting. But even then, the stairs were intriguing, how they were simply carved into the stone. It felt much different on his paws to be setting foot on rock, and not dirt.

Celestine hummed for a few seconds, shifting her bag from one side to the other, and then nodded. "Well, okay then. Just don't say that I didn't offer when you really need my service," she voiced, distaste finding its way into her tone. "Well, whatever. I just am really wondering what is at the bottom of this stairwell, we've been descending for a while now..." But, as if to provide a solution to her question, the whole area around them expanded drastically, to the point of absurdity.

Off to the side, there was a barely defined path in front of them, with only tall lampposts to show the way, dimly lighting the surrounding area. However, Pathos and Celestine completely ignored them, as in the middle of the cave, constructed in a partial crater, was a _huge_ city, only a rough outline able to be made out thanks to the sparkling embers that were scattered about its grounds. It was a bit of a stretch, but Pathos also thought he could see a tall stone pillar rise from the middle of the town.

The Absol decided to stop gawking at the sight, and instead check out the immediate area. Right now, they were stationed atop a cliff that sloped down to one side. Behind them, of course, was a solid rock face, with the outlet to the stairs leading upwards. He looked back at the path. _I don't see how this place could be anything else. It has to be The Invictus. An underground city... Sure, that was never told to us, but out in this barren wasteland, and if The Invictus is as important as it sounds, there there is no way in hell this isn't it._

Pathos started down the lighted path, catching Celestine's attention. "H-hey, where are you going?" she asked, sprinting in an attempt to catch up to him. The Disaster Pokémon raised an eyebrow when he looked back.

"Where else? To that city! Is there any possibility that explains how that cannot be The Invictus? Come on, let's get going!" he called, picking up more speed, forcing the Espeon to do so as well. "Well, the least you could do is let me know beforehand!"

As they made their way down the slope, the duo made sure to watch where they were going, seeing as the lights provided from the fire-driven lamps wasn't much, only just barely enough to make the road usable. Celestine let out a profuse sigh. "Arceus, what is with this place all of a sudden? First, there's those weird statue Pokémon out in front of the entrance, then on the inside, there's nothing but these glass domes and a large building, which contains a staircase leading down. And _then_ , we are presented with this sight. What's next?"

Pathos gave a huff and shrugged. "I'm not the first person you should want to ask something like that. But, I can't say for sure what I expect to come across, either. I just want to get this over with so I can lay down and sleep. If we don't do something soon, I might actually drop on the spot," he responded, letting out an exasperated groan. If he hadn't made it obvious just how much he needed sleep by his tone of voice, then it was for sure portrayed by him periodically stumbling.

She hummed, and replied, "I guess you have been a little clumsy as of late. Just try not to focus on how much you want to sleep, that should help you keep your eyes open for longer. It's starting to get to me as well, that's for sure." Celestine then yawned, and shook her head. "Well, whatever. I just can't get over how... astounding this setting is. I mean, it certainly does feel a lot better down here than outside, due to the ground acting as a nice insulator. And the lights over there... Quite captivating, would you not say?" she pronounced, looking over at Pathos.

He firmly nodded, smiling. "Yeah, it certainly is breathtaking. It's a shame there isn't much light to be spread around to allow one to truly see what it's all about. Even then, there really is something about the subtle dampness, the moody lighting, and this cliff that overlooks the whole area that just instills a feeling within you."

There wasn't much more said between them for the rest of the way down, but when they finally arrived, they found out just how expansive the city really was. Many, many buildings were scattered about, all with different designs, decorations, and the roads were developed using paving stones, creating an intricate pattern. It was now that they could also see that the dim sparkles they observed turned out to be just the same kind of lanterns that they had followed the whole way there, except here, they had a much more interesting exterior pattern. On top of that, there was indeed a large pillar rising up from the middle of the town.

Celestine turned about to look around, confused. "Well... From what it seems like, everyone is asleep, which, now that I think about it, is quite obvious. But that means that we're going to need to figure out where to go all by ourselves. That wouldn't be such a problem if there were signs showing us where to go." She shook her head in discontent. "Bah, whatever. Come on, let's go, Pathos," she spoke in a slightly annoyed voice, and motioned for him to follow.

They spent around thirty minutes walking around, trying to acquire some sort of clue that would direct them towards their destination, but alas, they had no luck, at which point Celestine decided to first check out the pillar to see if it had anything to do with The Invictus, seeing as it stood out so much, and maybe it could lead them where they wanted to go.

When they arrived, they were surprised to find just how large the column of stone was. It would easily take five minutes to walk all the way around it. At least, it took them five minutes from where they first got to the object and walk around it, to where they came across a set of doors embedded in the pillar.

Pathos nudged one of the doors, which opened much like the ones that lead them down the staircase that directed them underground. Pathos and Celestine were taken aback by what was inside. Tiled floor, smoothed walls and ceiling, potted plants in the corners of the room, except for one, where in its place was another large staircase that dove down. There were a few rows of chairs stationed at either side of the room from where one walks in, and then at the far side, a counter. Stationed at said counter was a tall, orange bipedal beast who sprouted wings from its back, as well as two antennae.

From out of nowhere a curious female voice perked up, and said, "Yep. That's everything. I'll inform him of your visit, Your Highness. We are honored to have had you present tonight!" Pathos presumed that the voice came from an unseen receptionist that was hidden away behind the being.

The Dragonite nodded. "I shall take my leave, then. Do be sure to share with him that information." The Dragon Pokémon made an about face, and began making his way towards the exit. Pathos and Celestine had to move out of the way to allow the Dragonite to pass, to which he said, "Pardon me," and left, closing the doors behind him.

It took a few moments after the incident, but Celestine seemed to be astounded, and silently murmured, "Your Highness...? Could it be...?" She looked around, a little, and then back at Pathos. "Did you hear what she said?"

Pathos tilted his head. Was there something he should have been paying attention to that he didn't hear? Knowing she would undoubtedly make him feel stupid, he asked, "What do you mean?"

His question baffled her. "Are you kidding me? Did you really not catch the receptionist's words? She referred to him as 'Your _Highness'_! He was the _Emperor!_ What on earth would He be doing here...?!"

Had Pathos really been so ignorant that he missed such a vital phrase that was said? "Wait, wait, wait, the _Emperor?!_ " The Absol had forgotten that there even _was_ an Emperor that ruled the lands. He couldn't remember the last time he heard someone bring it up.

Nevertheless, he decided to continue. "Why on earth would the Emperor be here, then? I can't see any plausible reason as to why that could be the case. Is there something here he needs? Don't you think there would have been guards somewhere or something? This is all so confusing..."

Their questions would have to wait to be answered, however, because a small, blue pixie-like Pokémon flew over to them. "Well, you are an interesting duo, I must say. Sitting over here whispering, what could you be talking about?" it said, startling them both.

"O-oh, us?" the Sun Pokémon managed to say through stumbling words. "W-well, see, we have gotten kind of lost, we were trying to find out where a place called "The Invictus" is, and decided to check out this place, in hopes of finding someone with the correct knowledge. You don't happen to know, do you?" she begged the Azelf.

The Willpower Pokémon backed off, beaming. "Well, worry not, for you have managed to come across your destination! And, judging from what you've said, you're new around here, aren't you? Adventurers? Nomads?" she inquired, flipping back over to behind the counter. "Come over here, if you please. The name's Iris, by the way." The two shared looks of mixed confusion and relief, and made their way over.

Pathos shook his head. "Well, we're not really adventurers, or nomads. Well, in a way, I am, but that's besides the point. I brought her here because we had met up with a few people from here who talked about this place, and told us how to get here. After that, she made the executive decision that she wished to join you guys. So, where exactly do we go to make it happen?"

Iris held up a finger, and went under the counter, from which shuffling could be made out. "Please excuse my lack of knowledge about our facility's layout, it's been far too long since I've had to direct someone where to go for an application, nor have I needed to fly to a destination, since I can just teleport, although only a few spots I know by heart. Now, where were they..." After a few more moments, she let out a joyous "Aha!" and returned to the two Pokémon. "Alright, so what you do is head down the staircase over there, and when you exit it, just walk straight forward, until you pass about, oh, five doorways. Take a right into the first one after those five," she said, reading off the sheet of paper in her hands.

Acknowledging this, Celestine nodded. "Thanks, Iris, it really means a lot. Come on, Pathos," she said, and they began making their way over to the stairs. Iris then said to them, "I'll let the boss know you're coming, so don't worry about an unexpected arrival!" Albeit with a bit of confusion, they looked back, and Pathos responded, "Alright, thanks." The duo then began their descent.

With this, they were once more headed down a long spiral staircase, which also had the same flickering embers in the walls as the last one. However, this time around, Pathos didn't feel quite as enclosed as he did before, which may be due to the larger span of the stairwell. Even then, Pathos couldn't stop thinking about it: why was the Emperor was there? _There should be no reason for the one with the highest name in the entire country to here! Although, with what I caught, it seems like he was here to deliver some information of some sort. I just don't like where this is going._

"What do you think we're going to do next? Are we going to go directly to this "boss" that Iris talked about? And how exactly would she be able to let him know about us?" Celestine brought up, derailing Pathos' train of thought. "I mean, I suppose she may be able to telepathically let him know, but still. Well, whatever, seeing this "boss" of theirs seems like the best course of action as of now. That certainly would make the most sense right now, but maybe there's another step we need to take. I guess it really doesn't matter much, though. I'm just happy that we're finally here."

The Absol turned his head enough so that she was just barely in his perception. She really was eager to join The Invictus, wasn't she? Pathos wasn't any more eager than her, if not less, however. The sooner this ended, the sooner he would have to go back to wandering, or even making an attempt to return to the village. But even then, he was left with the nagging question of what he would pursue after that. Perhaps he would undergo an endeavor to improve relations with those around him. No, that wouldn't work, would it?

Pathos viciously shook his head. He need not work himself up over such matters. As tempting as it was, considering half of his mind was engrossed in exploring more of it, he refused to focus on it, and instead look only at what was in front of him. It was better than nothing, and at least he could talk with Celestine if need be.

Celestine nudged him with her shoulder, awakening him from his daze. "Hey, there you go, not responding to me, and seeming rather distant. Are you absolutely _positive_ that you're okay? I'm really willing to help you out, so please, let me know," she said when she had his attention, concern plastered on her face.

As much as it hurt him to do so, the Absol finally conceded, and replied, "Well, I've been dwelling on what it is that I'm going to be doing with myself after this ends. Where do I go? What will happen, depending on the course I choose? It's just... I'm having troubles deciphering exactly what the correct path is."

The Sun Pokémon nodded sympathetically. "Ah... That... certainly is a bit of a problem then, yeah?" She let out a yawn before continuing. "I'm not sure what it is that I can do to help, honestly. I mean, maybe you could find someplace to stay within the city here, but I cannot say that it will leave you satisfied." Celestine then sighed grievously, especially catching Pathos' attention. "I guess I'm really not too much of a help here. Sorry."

Pathos let off a shallow hiss in response. Her tone was bothering the Absol, and in the midst of the moment, he decided to try and lift her spirits. "Hey, look, it's alright. I don't need to worry about it right now, it's not that important. I've only been thinking about it because there's been nothing else on my mind. It's only a lingering thought of mine, nothing I can't put up with."

Celestine looked him in the eyes, her expression unchanging. "Well, if you say that you're okay, then I'm fine, I suppose. It's just... I still feel the need to repay you for rescuing me a few days ago, even now. And, with trying to help you out as much as possible being the only way I feel of doing so, I can't help but wonder if you're doing alright."

Pathos almost felt himself growl, trying not to let out his problems. "Well, just know that I'm doing fine. I... I don't necessarily enjoy seeing you sulking around either." He knew his response was not the most well-crafted, but he figured it would work. After all, she had seemed to understand so far.

He breathed out, and looked up. When he did, he noticed how the embers have become far more scarce then when they first started descending. In fact, a faint white hue of light trickled its way into the stairwell from further down.

The Disaster Pokémon tilted his head. Why would there be a different kind of light streaming into the staircase? What could be causing it? Then it struck him: they were close to the end of the stairs! They would soon emerge from them, and be ready to move on to the next part of this mission!

Pathos began to speed up his pace, leaving the Espeon confused, who shortly thereafter said, "Hey, where are you going?" He looked back, forcing a grin as he said, "I think we may be nearing the end! Of the stairs, I mean."

Nodding, Celestine rushed forward too. Pathos was correct to assume that they were nearing the end, although neither of them had quite expected to see the extravagant sight before them. The stairs opened up into a very large room with light streaming through holes in the ceiling, which Pathos now assumed to be the work of the small domes above ground. Directly in front of them, rough stairs dove down to the ground floor of the cavern, with tons of those all-too-familiar lanterns scattered about. This platform seemed to be raised above something, although what it was, Pathos was unsure. The slab had scattered about it some stands, each with their own goods being displayed. Shops?

Aside from all that, dug into the side walls of the ground floor were six total corridors, three rooted in each. Along these side walls were also multiple platforms, attached in growing heights, effectively creating three layers on both walls, each one allowing access to a slew of doorways, a lamp hanging above each entrance. Each platform also had stairways connecting them to the adjacent floors, as well as pathways that ran all the way to the other side.

"What on earth...?" Pathos muttered, still embracing the magnificent spectacle. The lamps gave off an eerie light, a much deeper amber than the others they've seen. The Absol shook his head. Here he was, getting sidetracked by the looks of the room, when he should be making sure Celestine makes it to her destination alright.

"Well, look, Celestine, I realize that I am in no position to ask of you this, but how about instead of sitting here and examining all the little details, why don't we continue on, and follow the instructions Iris gave to us?"

The Sun Pokémon deviated her gaze to cast her attention to him. "Right, right, I almost forgot. Sorry about that, It's just that we've continuously been caught off-guard by everything, and it's actually kind of getting to me. Come on, then," she responded, slowly marching down the chilly stairs towards the middle of the cave.

When they finished their belated descent, Pathos noticed a circular cutout in the platform that he did not spot previously, which was accompanied by a peculiar sound, a very soft, muffled sound that was very soothing. Pathos motioned for his companion to follow over, where it was discovered that the sound he heard was in fact flowing water. _Water...? But... how? Where could they have possible found water in this desert? Could there be something here that's creating it? I don't think that's a possibility, though. Well whatever. I'll investigate when I'm on my way out._

After staring in curiosity for a few more minutes, the two finally began to make their way towards the now visible doorway at the end of the room, like Iris had told them to. The entrance was just like all the rest around them, unsurprisingly. Pathos was expecting at least a little bit of variety.

They carefully entered the sizable hallway, examining the passing objects. Doors, lamps, even small pebbles sticking out of the ground, all of them were taken in with the utmost care. The whole place was completely foreign to them both, and as such, they felt the need to investigate their setting. However, soon enough, they came across the opening referenced by Iris, the doorway on the right after the first five.

Celestine gestured for Pathos to ensue behind her, to which he agreed. The room was rather large, extending upwards into a tremendous done, to the point where it would make one wonder just why it was needed to be so. Off to the left was a cork-board, with multiple sheets of paper tacked to it, some overlapping others. On the far side, a few dainty chairs could be found, and to the group's right, a reception desk with an Electivire keeping watch, although it wasn't doing a very good job of it, seeing as it was busy dozing off.

Pathos and Celestine made their way over to the sleeping beast. It was leaning back in a chair, needlessly snoring. Pathos made the decision to wake the Electivire up, and almost reluctantly said, "Um, hey, buddy, could you perhaps wake up for us? We kind of need help, you know?"

As Pathos had expected, they did not stir. So, in another attempt to wake the Thunderbolt Pokémon, he scavenged around for something to pelt them with, and eventually decided on gouging a rock out of the wall after not finding something, and had Celestine telepathically throw the stone.

The lump of earth hit its mark, startling the creature to consciousness. "Arceus, stop taking all of my food!" it said in a deep, bellowing voice. After he looked around, expecting to see just who it was that disturbed him, and eventually laid eyes on the two Pokémon standing in front of him, although he did not seem to suspect them. "O-oh, sorry about that. What can I help you guys out with? I can't imagine too much considering the hour, but do let me know."

This time, Celestine spoke. "Well, we were redirected here by Iris, since we're in search of how to apply to join. Well, I am. So what exactly are we supposed to do, now that we're here? We just want to get this over with so we can sleep, so the sooner, the better."

The Electivire appeared to be mildly surprised, but responded calmly. "Ah, alright. Well, let me go ahead and just get something for you. Then, I'll need to have you follow some directions that will take you to where the boss is."

The ape-like Pokémon bent down and began to briskly dig around under the counter. Within a few agonizing minutes of waiting, he finally produced a small slip of paper, handed it to Celestine, who put it in her bag via telekinesis, and said, "Take that there piece of paper with you. When you leave this room, take a right further down the hall until you come to a split, and take the left path. After that, walk past, oh, say, ten different doors, all on your left. After you pass them, Make a right at the fork. Just walk straight after that, and at the end, you _should_ come across the door to the boss's chamber. Show that slip to the guards, and they'll probably let you in. Good luck." The Pokémon sat back down in the chair, and seemingly dozed off instantaneously.

Pathos and Celestine stared at each other in brief bewilderment. Their instructions were out of nowhere, and their mentor had passed out before any questions could be asked. Looking back on the Thunderbolt Pokémon, Pathos said, "Well, it doesn't seem like we're going to be getting anything else out of sleeping beauty over there. Come on, let's go, before we forget where to go." He started towards the exit, Celestine shortly behind him.

As they slowly walked, they examined what surrounded them, much like they did before, but with less caution. Pathos was especially pointing things out, however, due to his plain curiosity of the whole place. It was a new experience, being able to stand up, look around, and take in the beauty of things without being held down. He quite enjoyed the aspect of being able to do so.

But, one question still refused to halt its crescendo: What exactly was he to do upon completing his mission? Pathos bowed his head in thought. _I realize that I've been asking myself this question for a while now, over and over, giving myself the same answer every time, but what am I to do, really? It isn't as simple as just returning to the village, is it? No, it can't be._ He glanced at Celestine for a moment, and then back down. _The smartest choice would probably be to stick around here, maybe try and settle down in town, if I can secure a place to live. I just need to figure out how to do that..._

The Absol persisted on thinking while they traveled. He was trying his very best to push any problems out out of his way, straying away from difficult thought. His brain was already hurting enough the way it was from the events of the past twenty-four hours.

However, the Absol had once again spent too much time in his head to notice that they had already arrived in front of yet another pair of large doors, although this one had its very own duo of guards standing in front of it. Said protectors were rather short, but well-built, their bodies a kind of bulk. Their blue skin color was greatly complimented by the dark matte grey of their armor, with a black silhouette of a dragon plastered on the chest. They held helmets by their waist with their arms, as if they were expecting some kind of threat to arrive at any moment.

Pathos and Celestine approached the Sawk with a hint of carefulness, when one quickly spoke up, startling them. "Your purpose, state it now," it commanded with utmost authority. The Espeon looked at her partner with a helpless look that said, "What do I do?" to which he responded by motioning with his head for her to explain.

Nodding, she cleared her throat, saying, "Well, we were given a little slip of paper here..." she paused, extracting the sheet from her bag, and showing it to them before continuing, "This one. We were directed here, because I inquired Iris about joining. I'm not entirely sure what all is required, though, so you may have to spare me on that front."

The Karate Pokémon glanced at its companion, and grasped the paper from her, skimming it over quickly. Through a few moments of hesitation, he nodded, and gave it back to Celestine, who placed it back in the bag. The Sawk turned and rapped on the door, spouting, "You have visitors!" After a loud _clang_ weaved it's way to them, The second guard said, "You may now enter. You will be watched."

Warily, the duo walked past the Sawk, feeling their piercing gaze drilling holes into their skulls as the doors shut behind them Their discomfort lasted but a few seconds, as when they looked inside the room, which turned out to be more like a chamber, they were presented with an extravagant display, the walls being coated with banners of different kinds, the middle of the room containing some kind of round table, with seats around it. Some kind of meeting area?

The back wall presented to them a large pedestal with a decorated chair resting atop, gold where the seams were formed from black and read cloth. Situated on this throne was a large orange-toned dragon, horns protruding from the back of its head, as well as a tail whose tip was accompanied by a large flame. The creature's wings were pompously stretched out, showing off their full size, about two or three times as wide as the dragon was tall.

The Charizard glared down at the two with shrewd blue eyes, its chin resting on its clawed palm. Spewing a small fiery snake from its maw, the Pokémon grinned. "So..." it boomed in an authoritative masculine voice, startling the two. "You're the visitors who Iris warned me of? What is it that you desire? If it's something petty, don't even bother, because just hearing the news that _He_ brought in was enough to tick me off, so I don't need more convolution." He bowed down, and fiercely thrust his wings down quickly, lifting his bulky yet muscular body off of the seat, his thick neck rising to allow him vision of the area. After lifting himself off, his body lurched forward towards the duo, but the Charizard halted shortly before them, landing on his feet. The Flame Pokémon knelt down to be able to look at them easier. "So, what is it? Your goal? Is it worth my time?"

Celestine indicated for Pathos to step forward this time, to which he stifled a heaving sigh and said, "Well, I'm going to assume you're the leader of this place, considering your living quarters. I've been requested to escort her here so that she could join you guys, as it seems your work lines up just right with her appeals." He cleared his throat. "However, it's late, we're all tired, I'm sure, and we all have more important things to do. So let's try to make this quick as possible, for both our and your benefit, yeah?"

The beast lessened its death glare, and backed off. "Well, color me surprised, if there is such a thing. Whether it be a joke or a truthful statement, that is something I haven't heard in a good while. You just don't find anyone eager enough to go to these extents anymore..." He chuckled, shaking his head. "You've got me there, I certainly can't refuse that offer. With those motives, I'm sure that you'd have talked to Iris about this matter, and gotten yourself an application, yeah?"

"Oh, yeah, I did get one. Here," Celestine said, pulling the paper out of her bag once more, most likely for the last time. "I'm not sure what we have to do, so it's been left blank this whole time. As a matter of fact, I haven't even looked at it."

The Charizard took it within his grasp, where he gave them a nod and said, "Oh, I almost forgot, the name's Serafino," his voice fading off as he mouthed words that he was reading, verifying each line of the application.

After around a minute, Serafino spoke up again. "Alright, looks like you're good to go with this one. Allow me to get you a writing utensil so you can fill the various sections out," he voiced with benevolence, handing Celestine the paper once more, and turned off towards a room Pathos hadn't taken notice of before.

When he had returned, within his clawed hand lay an ink bottle and feather. The Charizard set the bottle down, and his expression changed, having remembered something. "Argh, I almost forgot... See, we have a requirement for at least two members to form a team. It's not saying that you are not capable of doing anything on your own, not in the slightest. It's just for safety reasons. I didn't come up with it, actually. But rules are rules. Do you have an idea of who your partner could be?"

Celestine looked up at the dragon, and delved into thought. "I... no, I don't, actually. I guess I really shouldn't have thought that I could get in just by myself. I was just so eager..." She seemed to be heavily conflicted, not sure what to do, seeing as she had left behind the one person who could join her on her trip.

But then her face changed, and she looked at Pathos, smile same as ever. "Say, could you join with me? I know you never intended on joining, you were just helping me here, but I'm stuck in a predicament, and I know you are as well, albeit a different one. It should work out for the both of us, wouldn't you say?"

Pathos was entirely taken aback. Him? Join her team? Nonsense! Just hours ago, he had burst out in frustration, probably hurting her feelings in the process! Even if she didn't show it, that didn't prove that she didn't feel any hurt. Even then, if she took but one well-equipped look at him, there's no way she wouldn't recall her invitation! How on earth could she ask him that?

The Absol turned his back to her, and thought intensely. _Just how do I answer? Yeah, it's true that I need some place to stay, as well as a way to figure out what to do with myself, but is this the correct decision? Would I be making some kind of mistake if I agreed? I mean, she's really eager to do this, yet I'm over here hesitating to hell and back. But what can I do? This very well could be a life-long decision, but it could also be a short-term one. I'm assuming I will get residence and food if I choose to join, which is extremely appealing, but still..._

Cursing under his ragged breath, Pathos made his decision, turning back to Celestine. "I guess it really does work out for the two of us. I'm not sure if this is permanent, or if it's temporary, but it certainly does seem a lot better than any of my alternatives, yeah?" Without waiting for a response, the Absol shifted his look to Serafino. "So, what next? We just fill out this form, then, yes?"

He nodded firmly. "Exactly. Just follow along, answer whatever it throws at you, and let me know when you're done. Then, I'll get your information filed, and it'll be in the system by tomorrow morning. Or later today. Is it past midnight...?"

While he faded off and walked away back to the side room, Celestine proceeded to approach Pathos, her expression bright. "T-thanks Pathos. I realize that maybe this could be against your will and that you're only doing this out of kindness, but thank you." Once more, her words warmed him up. Being thanked by anyone was a dream come true to him, so to hear such words—from her, no less—made him feel ecstatic.

Snapping out of his trance, Pathos replied, "Yeah, no problem. But what do you say that we go ahead and fill this out so that we can get to bed and sleep, since we've been at this for hours on end?" Celestine nodded in response, picking up the feather from the ink jar with her psychic powers. "Yeah, let's."

Pathos turned to the sheet of paper on the ground where it had been placed, and curiously examined its contents. They consisted of a title and caption that described what the sheet was and what it was for, multiple blank lines that one was to fill out, as well as a few check boxes.

Celestine started filling out the basics: their names, species names, date, etc. However, one line caught the Absol's attention much more than the rest:

 _Please enter your team name here:_

Intrigued, he pointed it out to his partner, muttering, "Hey, what about that one? It looks important, although you aren't quite there yet, but I think we should get that done here now."

She took a moment to read the line of text, and proceeded to say, "Well, it certainly does. But how on earth are we expected to come up with something? There's literally _millions_ of different things we could input, but only _one_ to choose! How are we supposed to do this?"

He looked upwards in thought. It was true, there were so many different combinations of words, words alone, and even then, there were phrases from other languages. He wasn't sure where to start. What would a sufficient name be? Shouldn't it fit them, and what they want to do? Are there any restrictions? Is there anything they need to consider? Pathos bit his lip. _If only it were't so difficult to do this, seeing as so many different combinations are available... Just think... What could it be...?_

Thinking, thinking, and then thinking some more, Pathos finally came across something, although he knew not where it came from, he only felt that it suited them both, for whatever reason. "What... What about Reformity? Team Reformity?"

Celestine paused, considering the suggestion, weighing its meaning and usage. After a few moments in suspense, she vigorously nodded her head, beaming. "I don't know what it is about that phrase, but it certainly fits well, and I really like it. The name, I mean. Great choice, I'll jot that down."

After their team name was written down, they continued to scan through the various aspects, Pathos pointing out certain ones that seemed interesting, ones that Celestine missed, and even correcting a few of the mistakes that she made throughout. Later on, it was also established that Celestine be the leader of the team, since not only was it her idea in the first place, Pathos just wasn't interested in that part. After around ten more minutes of scanning and writing, the application was finished, and Pathos picked it up—the only way he could, with his mouth—and took it over to Serafino.

The Absol entered the small room, which sported a large bed on the far side, with some kind of bedside table, and nearer the door, a desk, where the Charizard was stationed. Upon closer inspection, the Flame Pokémon was holding a small card within his claws, a look of remorse plastered on his face. Pathos took another step, startling Serafino out of his trance, snapping his head towards the Disaster Pokémon. After realizing it was only Pathos, he sighed, and set the card down, and stood up.

"O-oh, sorry, are you finished already? I guess I just kind of lost myself there in the moment. It's just that I'm always here, running this damn place. It's not that I hate my job... but there stands the fact that it keeps me away from... certain people at times. I just get a little sentimental about it. Again, sorry," he responded, making short glances at the card throughout.

With a vehement sigh, he reached down and snatched the application, reading over it much quicker than before, and when he finished, he set it down on the desk, and said, "Well, it looks good to me. Come back out and I'll talk to you both about the things you'll be doing here."

When the two returned, Pathos sat by Celestine's side, where they waited through a few moments of silence before Serafino said anything. "So, here's the deal, you two. This isn't some kind of game, or fun place to be. When you're here, you're outright serving not only us, but also the royals. The Emperor is the one who started this whole fiasco, but I'm the one who runs it. Any orders given by me are to be followed absolutely. But, let's say the Emperor gives an order that contradicts what I have said. Then, and only then, are you to disobey my command." His statement answered the question of why the Emperor was in the lobby, satisfying one of the duo's hungers.

"Since the Emperor is pretty much the headmaster here, he gets to decide what happens if we don't do our job correctly. I'm here to keep you in place. But that's not to say you can't have some freedom of your own around here. After all, you're the ones who decide what missions to take, what supplies you need, as well as how much you sleep. But, as previously hinted, I am able to assign you jobs directly, and those jobs take priority over what you have. There are plenty of others around here that can give you orders, but you'll get around to that when it's necessary.

"Another factor that I should bring up with you is that, despite the possibility of you already knowing, we help out around here with locals and anyone we can, hence our presence in the desert making refuge camps for those who have been struck by disaster, be it a desert storm, or even an Influx, although the number of survivors of the latter is quite low." Pathos almost visibly flinched at the mention of the Influxes, those vile occurrences.

Serafino went on. "But, of course, service to the Empire is very important as well. As previously stated, the Emperor _does_ have control around here, and if he is to show up at any point, you are to respect him and do as he asks, as I have already said as well. His Highness may be a rather soft guy at times, but that does not disable the matter that he rules over us all, and has the power to set us straight."

The Charizard held up a claw and quickly retreated back into the side room, only to quickly re-emerge with a mysterious bag draped over his shoulder. When he arrived back in front of the two, he dropped it onto the ground, its latch letting go, and a few items popping out from inside of it, among them being a few badges, which appeared to have some kind of compass embedded within them, a small pin visible at the top edge as well.

"Um... What are these?" Celestine inquired, to which Serafino promptly answered, "They're your official badges. It's required for you to have them on your person at all times, and the little compass you see in them is for redirecting yourself towards one of the many waypoints throughout the Empire, which you will learn about tomorrow. Anyway, we teleport our teams to their destinations, but that's as much as we can do, since teleporting an object or person we cannot see is _very_ tricky. On top of that, if you look at the other side, you'll take notice to a special watch designed through the efforts of many a scientist and researcher. I will not go over the exact details of what it does, since you will also learn about that tomorrow, but be sure to pay attention to what you are told."

Then, pointing at the bag, he said, "This here is your official containment device, issued to us directly by the government. For how small it may seem, it can hold a tremendous supply of items due to the work that psychics have done to it. But do not assume that its storage is limitless, only take what you will need. You'll figure out the rest on your own."

Acknowledging the facts, Celestine collected all the spilled ingredients back into the sack, and even emptied her own belongings into it from her bag. After this, she proceeded to drape the new bag around Pathos' neck, and said, "Here, carry that for a little bit, alright?

Serafino slowly looked over them both, and simply nodded. "Well, it really seems like we're done here. As I have said, your info is to be within the system really soon, so just sit tight until then. In fact, not even that, if you just sleep on it, you should be met in the morning with a pleasant greeting. I wish you luck on your endeavors, team," he stated, giving a thumbs up, signaling for them to leave, but quickly spoke up again.

"Oh, I almost forgot. In the morning, you should be contacted about some sort of mission. This will be a benchmark mission, to see how well you cope under the circumstances. After that, you will receive training in correspondence to how well things go." He scratched the back of his neck. "If it makes you two feel any better, everyone has had to go through this, and not a single one has been good enough to warrant not having training. _That_ is all. You may leave."

Pathos nudged Celestine to get her to follow him out past the large doors, down the corridors, round the turns, past the many doors and out into the central hub again. The whole experience had been a mess so far for Pathos. He couldn't Believe it all. But, he was also surprised how Celestine had said hardly anything since they left Serafino's room. It was odd and peculiar to him, but he simply assumed it was due to how tired she may have been. But even then, despite all that they had been told and informed about, one issue still made itself visible to the duo: where were they to go now?

As if they were calling to her, they heard Iris shout across the room, "Oh, hey, you two!" She flew quickly over to them, grinning, giddy and all. "So, I see that you landed your place here, guys! But, it sure does seem like Serafino forgot to tell you about the whereabouts of your chambers. Well, it honestly doesn't surprise me, with just how many things he's had to put up with lately."

This confused the duo. How had she known that they had gotten in? Seeking to solve this problem, Pathos spoke up. "But.. how exactly did you know? There's no way you could have made an assumption and landed dead-on. So what's the deal here?"

"Oh, right!" she exclaimed, slamming one of her hands into the other. "I suppose it may not be obvious, but I do oftentimes check on Serafino telepathically, and sometimes, if the timing is right, he can send his thoughts to me, and we can have a mental conversation. The main reason for this is because I am almost like the second-in-command around here, but not on paper."

She shook her head, drawing herself back to the subject at hand. "Anyway, as I was saying, I'm here to lead you to where you will be spending your time whilst serving The Invictus, so, if you would, please follow me," she voiced, making an about-face and floating towards the left staircase that lead upwards, Pathos and Celestine shortly behind her.

They strode up one staircase, and then another, so that they were on the topmost level, where they passed five separate exits and made a left, making haste down the hallway, which was lined with spaced out alternating doors on either side, these ones also possessing their own lamps, lighting the tan rock that surrounded them in an amber glow. When they came upon an intersection, they took a right, and then made a left on the next, and kept going straight until they came across a sole door embedded in the dead end.

"I realize that the path here is rather convoluted, but you'll have to forgive us. Some of these rooms are occupied by visitors, or Pokémon who are under our personal protection. This is one of the rooms that are not used as such, so do make yourself at home, okay?" Iris said with great care, bowing, and then simply vanishing before their very eyes.

While Pathos was left standing there, in a trance of confusion and curiosity, Celestine grazed by him to get his attention. "Well, come on, I realize that you like to doze off into a stupor, but I'm sure you're more concerned about sleep as of now. So, what do you say we enter our new, luxurious residence?"

Pathos absentmindedly nodded and followed her as she pried the doors open, engrossed in the thoughts racing around his mind as of now. _Is this really happening? A place to stay? Food to eat? Or, at least, I presume that to be the case... Will I have a comfortable resting spot? Will it be disappointing? Will I ever regret this? Is this where I will spend the rest of my life, locked up, taking orders from others, and possibly facing the wrath of the Emperor himself?_

No matter how much he tried to focus on his mind, all thoughts fleeted at the sight he was now beholding. In front of him was a room with the same tan walls as the outside, but the lighting here was an amber-yellow, provided by a group of lamps on the walls near the corners, two for each, and a large chandelier that hung from the middle of the room, containing those oh-so-familiar flames.

Four square pillars rose from the ground in the middle of the room and seamlessly sloped into the ceiling. On the side walls were four doors, two on each, placed evenly apart. The far wall enclosed two more doors, accompanied by a few tables. A few more minor details were scattered about, but Pathos didn't care enough at the time to pay too much attention.

After setting their new bag down near one of the pillars, Pathos began to make his way towards one of the far doors, eager to get to sleep and be well-rested for the next day. However, before he could nudge the door open, Celestine stopped him.

"Well, I guess it's official now. We're part of The Invictus. But... with everything that's happened lately, and the occurrences, we very well could be put to work at the site of an Influx." Pathos nearly went stiff at the mention of being put to work near an Influx, but managed to suppress it.

"But... If I am honest with you, the Influxes... They scare me. I know, I know, that's contrary to what I showed the other day, but, Arceus, when you really put your mind to it, it becomes clear just how unpredictable they are. So far, they've only appeared and grew, stopping at some point. But what's to say that they can't continue afterwards? Not a single person in this world understands them, and it's not like they're going to start to understand. Arceus knows how long they've been around, and for the entire time, they've caused nothing but utter destruction, taking many lives, and making life hell," she said, lowering herself to sit.

As she was about to go on, her expression went from one of gloom to one of glee, and she pronounced, "Wait! Isn't there something that you Absol can do, like, some kind of special ability? You guys can like, predict things, right? If we utilize that, we could save the lives of many people, and prevent further destruction from the Influxes!"

This time, Pathos didn't even attempt to stop himself from visibly tensing up every muscle in his body, his expression going blank, his ears no longer picking up noises. He could feel his claws digging into the ground, and the pain that was enough for his brain to try telling him to stop, but it didn't matter to him at that moment, because all of his thoughts and perceptions went null, for his mind sprinted about sporadically, attempting to find a way to get back on track. His heart was racing, sometimes skipping a beat, sometimes two, Pathos wasn't sure. His breathing was short and ragged, and he felt like he was being choked, despite having a plentiful access to air.

He tried to look around him in an attempt to reassess the situation, trying to retreat from fight-or-flight mode. However, this only made it worse, as his vision was closing in on itself, only being able to spot things directly in his line of sight. He could feel his chest tightening around itself, his lungs twisting like ropes. He felt like he was going insane, like his head was going to explode. He tried to walk forward, only to find himself feeling like the world around him was spinning, ready to collapse at any given moment.

The Absol stumbled a bit once more, causing Celestine to back off. _This... this sensation... I know it... back at that Influx... the pain, the aching, the remorse... The torture... Can't breathe, can't see, need to get... away...!_ Pathos let out an earsplitting roar, causing the Espeon to flinch. He could feel his body sway, the feeling of severe panic. He just wanted it to end, the madness.

Celestine touched his shoulder, only to get no response in return. She tried again, but this time she nudged him a bit harder, but alas, still no answer. "Pathos? Pathos! What's happening?! Come on, snap out of it!" She inquired, terrified with the events unfolding before her eyes.

Finally managing to get a grip and move without falling over, he pushed Celestine away and turned around, bulldozing his way into the room, although not without severe difficulty, and the door slammed behind him, leaving the Espeon in a loop of confusion.

Slowly making his way over to the bed that lay against the wall, he weakly leapt up, and lay down. Pathos did the best he could to calm himself down, using the many methods he had learned over the years.

 _Arceus... Why, Celestine, why...? You don't know it, but still..._ The Disaster Pokémon let out a pathetic huff, looking around him. On the wall opposite the door hung a single flame lamp like the many, many others. There was a peculiar hole in the roof letting in a little bit of light. The bed he was laying on was _very_ comfortable. It felt like he was resting on a pile of luxurious cotton, harvested from the perfect field.

He let out a calmer sigh. He was finally bringing himself to recollect, but he could still feel his heart racing, his breathing short, as well as the tightness in his chest. _Another panic attack... That... this is probably the worst one I've had in years and years. I almost couldn't recognize the immense pain... I hope that this isn't what my life here is going to be composed of, just pain and panic attacks..._

A knock on the door nearly made him jump. "Um, hey, Pathos, are you alright in there?" He could hear the sincerity in Celestine's voice. But, all it did was make it worse. However, despite it all, he knew that, in the end, they were a team now, and that equally amounted to the fact that he should trust her more.

Quite reluctantly, the Absol managed to let out a feeble response. "Y-yeah, you can come in..." He sat himself up slowly on the cot, feeling his body shale even now. How long was this experience to continue on for?

Pathos saw a look of relief wash over Celestine's face, having now seen that he was good enough to talk. She situated herself on the floor in front of the bed, and said, "Really, though, what was that about? Are you alright?"

The Disaster Pokémon let out a depressed sigh. "I mean, did I look okay out there? I was shuddering, I was breathing at a rapid pace, I was looking around frantically. If you asked anyone around here, I'm sure that they could tell you that I'm _not_ okay."

The Sun Pokémon was hurt at that comment. Nevertheless, she said, "It's a figure of speech; I know that you're not alright. I'm asking what happened back there? What on earth caused you to flip out like that?"

Pathos cursed under his breath, wishing that she could stop prying about what happened and maybe try to help him out. "It's just—look, I don't know, alright? Something in me just... snapped. I'm trying to cool down right now, but I'm having troubles pulling it off. As of right now, I'd like to just be alone, if that's alright." He tried to put a smile on his face in an attempt to help his case out. "I'll let you know if I need anymore help, okay?"

She was partially hesitant on her response, moving her mouth to say something, but ended up nodding in the end. "Okay, then. Just... please... don't stop yourself from seeking out my help. I've said this before, but I am more than willing to accompany you through hardships." With one last fleeting glance at Pathos, she made her way out, the door shutting quietly behind her.

Pathos slumped back onto the bed, the soft cloth encasing him in comfort. _I'm sorry Celestine, but you just don't need to know... No one does..._ The Absol looked around the room one last time, before closing his eyes.

 _I_ _can't think back to it, or else that happens. In fact, there are quite a few things I can't think back on, because the memories that race back with them are too horrible. But why...? Why have I been blessed with this accursed life of mine?_

Despite his best efforts, Pathos could feel the stream of tears burst through his eyelids. He cried and cried until he fell asleep, the only thing to keep him company being the flame on the wall.

* * *

 **End of Chapter V**


	7. Chapter 6: Commencement

**Chapter VI: Commencement**

* * *

Pathos' eyes were heavily crusted over by all the crying he had done the night before. His head throbbed, and his throat was sorely dry. Some part of him wanted nothing more than to lay in bed all day and do nothing, but he knew that was not possible, despite how he felt. Last night had, literally, been a nightmare for him.

He didn't blame Celestine for wanting to help him out, but he had no reason to trust her abilities to sympathize with him. In fact, the thought that she could betray him still remained in his mind, and it was very possible to happen.

He rolled onto his side. _But... I just can't get it out of my head. It doesn't seem like the kind of thing someone can make up. She might truly have it within her to put aside any discomfort about me to be more worried about my well-being. More than that, maybe I'm just being super inconsiderate..._

He felt himself becoming emotional again, and quickly disposed of those thoughts. He didn't feel particularly well about crying again, essentially because of how much of it he did the night before.

He shrugged the notion away and yawned profusely, rubbing his paws over his eyes, removing the crust from its once-secured home. He could feel the patches of fur on his face that were stiffened by his tears, causing him modest discomfort.

Pathos slowly arose from his bed, stretching out to warm his muscles into working order. He soon found himself squinting though, due to the bright light that was now making its way through the hole in the ceiling, showering the room in a blessed glow. The concept was as foreign as ever to him. He didn't quite understand how they could ever even manage to direct sunlight underground, much less this far down.

The flame on the wall seemed to have dissipated into nothing, but when Pathos got up to inspect, he found that it had somehow dialed down its intensity dramatically, more resembling a small candle than a sizable fire. _Well... I guess there's no reason to argue about it. It really does seem to do its job, so what's the harm?_

Notwithstanding his efforts, his mind found its way back to the experience of the night before. The feeling that was induced upon him was practically unreal, but was surprisingly able to recognize it at the time. But now that he lingered on the topic, he realized that, in reality, it was nothing like what he experienced at the Influx, it was something else entirely.

Pathos shook his head and yawned once more, taking notice of how well he was able to sleep, despite succumbing to an unorthodox means of falling asleep. His joints felt to be in acceptable condition, and he was able to think straight with little worry.

The steadiness of his mind soon disintegrated as it wandered back to all of the events of last night once more. His near-absolute breakdown, the arrival at The Invictus, as well as the journey there. It would never cease to amaze him how quickly things had turned around. He went from miserable, constantly hungry and thirsty with no socialization, to having someone to talk to, a place to stay, a supply of food, and more.

 _Ever since I woke up in that village, things haven't felt right, like something in my life has been shifted out of place. This feeling of... almost satisfaction... It's so surreal. I don't know what to make of it._ He could think about it all day, but in the end, his conclusion of utter confusion would stay the same.

Nevertheless, it's not like he could deny the proposition of such a change; he chuckled at such a thought. But was he really beginning to grow on the turn of events that had afflicted him? Pathos gave a small shrug. He supposed it really didn't matter, as long as things didn't get too out of hand, he figured he could handle it.

Another idea came to mind that he found particularly fascinating. _Though I have not spoken to that many people lately, I haven't had anyone pick at me, or blame me for the disasters that have been hitting. The last time that happened was with Basileus after the Influx that struck the camp. Of course, none of this means that it won't happen again. And, well... Serafino is probably of high standing somehow in the Empire, so he would need to be professional, but I'm not sure about anyone else._ _Up until now, others have looked at me as if I were some sort of criminal, as if all the damn Influxes are my fault, somehow. What's the chance this place is going to be any different?_ It was another mystery to him, a mystery he would most likely never be given the answer to. Regardless, Pathos was certainly eager to listen to an explanation if anyone had one.

Eventually, Pathos decided after a few more minutes that it was time to be somewhat productive, and prepared himself for the day ahead. Most of the time he spent preparing himself was instead spent dozing off, but he managed, and then exited his residence into the main room of the team base.

It suddenly dawned upon him that there was no definitive way to tell when to wake up. It was all based on pure self-discipline and training. He was about to let out an irritated groan when he heard the near-silent creak of another of the doors opening.

"Ah, you're already awake, Pathos," Celestine voiced as she emerged from her room. "At least I won't have to worry about waking you." When she started to make her way over, Pathos was expecting her to ask if he was feeling better after last night, but as a matter of fact, she did not, to his relief.

Trying to keep things comfortable, Pathos said, "Well, I guess this is it—you've finally joined The Invictus and made a team. But what on earth are we even supposed to do right now? I mean, is there something we're to do now that our team's 'data' has probably been registered? Since you're the team leader, you're the one who makes the decisions, right?"

Celestine was thoughtful for a moment. "Well... I'm not too sure myself. I thought things would be nice and easy, but I guess the world isn't kind enough for that." She giggled softly. "Team Reformity... The name has such a nice ring to it, don't you think? It's mysterious, yet simple and easy to comprehend." After a few moments of silence, her expression brightened and she gave him the signal to hold on for a moment before she returned to her room, saying, "Actually, there is one thing we can do."

A few moments later she reemerged with her old bag draped around her neck. "We can quickly transfer everything from this bag into our new one. It would help us get used to the concept of the new one, considering it's got its storage capabilities enhanced by psychics."

They walked over to the spot Pathos had left the new bag, and Celestine opened the latch, emptying the contents to the floor. It was now that Pathos was able to get a closer look at what they had received. They had been given their badges, but also two square scarves, a few yellow oblong objects, and two apples.

Celestine checked out one of the scarves, its fabric displaying a beautiful shade of yellow-gold, a small insignia embezzled on one corner. The design depicted an eerily stylized helmet, a dazzlingly beautiful crest skillfully sewn in as well.

"Huh..." Celestine murmured, examining the emblem. "This is definitely intriguing. I suppose having scarves does work out for us, so we can have our badges shown so we don't need to pull them out of the bag constantly. Here, let me put this on to see how it looks."

As she occupied herself with that, Pathos focused on the other scarf. This one was dyed what appeared to be black, but was indeed a deep shade of blue, which was somehow black at some angles, and dark blue in others. On one of the corners, the same insignia that was on Celestine's scarf was present, although its color scheme was switched up to be visible on the darker color.

"Hey, Pathos, does this look alright? I'm not good at handling non-rigid objects through telekinesis. Did I do okay?" Pathos looked up at his partner, who had the scarf somewhat skillfully tied around her neck, the insignia facing out, its respective corner hanging down. A small bit above that, she had also managed to get one of the badges attached, the side with the compass extruding outwards.

"Well... it certainly fits you. The color greatly contrasts that of your fur," Pathos voiced truthfully. He was quite fond of the way the gold seemed to complement the lavender of her fur.

He stared blankly at his own scarf, balled up on the stony floor. "Hey, um ... think you could help me put mine on? I don't think I'll be able to do this," he said with a sliver of helplessness.

As the Espeon was maneuvering the cloth around his neck, taking her time to not mess it up, Pathos retracted back into the depths of his mind. _I don't know about Celestine, but things just feel... situated... I think I could get used to this as long as it continues, and nothing crazy pops up. I just don't want events like... last night... to keep happening._ Pathos retracted back to the real world as he felt the scarf settle around his neck.

"...There, I think that should work," Celestine pronounced, backing away. The Absol inspected the scarf the best he could, determining how comfortable it was, whether he liked the color scheme on him or not, and even if his badge was in an acceptable place for him to be able to gaze at the compass within it. When he flipped the badge up, the watch on the other side was handily flipped so that he could read the time.

After acknowledging the scarf's details, and accepting its smooth grip around him, Pathos said, "Yeah, I guess I could get used to this. It certainly will help keep us warm. Too warm, in this damn desert. But I suppose it's necessary if we must keep our badges visible."

"Yeah, the warmth will be a problem. At least it's temperate down here, so we aren't going to boil anytime soon. I was actually anticipating that we would be above ground when here, but I was really amazed to find out it's all an underground city. Really cool, if you ask me." Celestine walked silently back over to the spilled contents of the bag, Pathos' attention following suit.

Pathos was particularly curious about the weird yellow things that were within the contents. He pawed at them, finding them to be hard and smooth. The borders were a silky gold, while more towards the center it turned a matte yellow. "So... just what do you think these are? They look like nothing I've ever seen. Perhaps we could ask someone about them?"

Celestine shrugged, emptying out the old bag. "Maybe we could. It really just depends. Right now our main concern should be getting something to eat, or at least _trying_ to find something to eat, and then we'll need to get a move on and get something to do. As you said, our information is likely in by now, so we should be free to move about and explore, and get some things done. At least, that's what I anticipate."

The Absol nodded. As far as he could see, he had no reason to be more concerned about himself than his job. After all, he was on a team, so he needed to keep trying to push his own complications aside to instead focus on bigger things. "Right. Let's just get these items transferred and get going. To be honest, I'm kind of curious about everything, too."

The duo quickly deposited all of the necessary goods and equipment they would be needing, or what they thought they would need. Which, of course, included everything, down the the small yellow objects that they had been given.

With just a little more chat shared between them, Pathos and Celestine exited their base, and retraced steps back through the halls and corridors, which the duo had now discovered to also have the very same holes in the ceiling to let sunlight through, providing a nice and bright, as well as pleasant, walk back towards the main hub they were greeted with the night before.

"It will certainly be interesting to get to see what the place looks like during the day when it's busy, you know?" Celestine voiced, to which Pathos only nodded. He wasn't exactly sure what to say in response. He personally didn't think much of how different it would be.

When the time came that they finally arrived back at the heart of The Invictus, while they were expecting many Pokémon to be present, they had no idea it would be so _many_. Left and right there were many varieties, ranging from creatures like Charmeleon to Stantler, Dragonair to Grovyle, and Pathos even spotted Braonzong. If Pathos had to write a list of just how many different Pokémon there were, he wouldn't ever finish, not within his lifetime, at least.

The light that radiated down from above was gorgeous, encompassing everything and bathing all in an ethereal glow. The stands they saw the night before were now bustling with customers going to and fro, gathering all that they needed.

Celestine could just barely collect her words after they had left her. "Wow... This is phenomenal! Look at all these different people... Some may want to seek a new hope, some might want to aid others, and some just might want to be of service to the Empire... It's incredible!"

Celestine's radiant glee was nearly overwhelming Pathos. If The Invictus wasn't perfect for her, then he wasn't sure if there would be someplace better. Pathos, on the other hand, had no clue what he thought. The concept of helping others was far too foreign for him to begin understanding it so quickly.

But as he'd told himself almost too many times that day, they were a team. She was the leader, meaning that he had to follow her lead. Outright leaving the team would for sure hurt her feelings, and as much as he didn't care in the past, there was something different here, something forcing him from treating her the same way he'd treated everyone else. In the end, Pathos just let the thought wander. Maybe he would come back to it later.

Team Reformity made their way through the crowd, dodging burly arms, hulking feet, swaying tails, etc. Pathos wondered just how the two of them hadn't collided with anyone at that point. Later on, Celestine managed to point out a large sign had on it different locations and places to go. The team arrived in front of the billboard, and Celestine spotted the way that led to the cafeteria, pleasing them both.

They followed the sign's instructions thoroughly, Pathos helping Celestine recall the path they were to take. Eventually, they came upon a sizable room cluttered to the brim with Pokémon. Many large tables were placed about, all at uneven intervals.

The team spent a few minutes walking around, exploring, figuring out where to go. Once Celestine managed to inquire one of the passersby where the food was, she lead Pathos over towards some kind of serving table, various Pokémon behind the counter, dishing up a multitude of food items. Pathos had no clue how they managed to get such exotic supplies—at least to him—in such an environment. But nevertheless, they were all appealing to the Absol, so it mattered not.

Celestine held both of their platters as they received the different portions of their breakfast. Small slices of bread, chunks of meant, vegetables, etc. They had it all, and Pathos couldn't choose what it was he wanted. In the end, he simply decided to go with what seemed most appetizing.

When the duo had acquired all that they desired to eat, They made off elsewhere, attempting to find a spot to settle and eat, when they stopped as they heard the baritone of a familiar voice. Pathos instantly recognized it and thought he was mistaken, _hoped_ that he was mistaken.

Celestine opened her mouth to speak, but Pathos managed to say something before her. "I'm sure I'd recognize that voice just about anywhere. Do you mind giving me a moment?" Without waiting, he left the Espeon behind.

He deftly moved between and around several groups, trying to find what he was looking for. But no matter how much he kept praying it was not as he believed it to be, as he singled out the source of the voice he heard, the Absol sighed, and shook his head. He heard Celestine arrive right behind him, who stopped instantly as she looked on. There, in front of them sat the one, the only—Basileus the Tyranitar, chatting it up with his teammates.

Within a few moments of their appearance, Basileus spotted the duo over the shoulders of his teammates and nearly spat out the food he was chewing. After recollecting, he said, "I'll be damned, you really showed up. I have to say, I'm quite surprised. Well, mostly about you, _Pathos_. Never thought I'd lay eyes on you again. Your companion, though, I'm not quite so astonished about her. Alkaios told me about what he said to her, so she knew about this place. But, on such short notice... I give you guys credit for that."

"Ah, yes, thank you. I suppose you would feel that way about someone you _left on death's doorstep_. But don't worry, it's fine, I'll _totally_ forgive you," Pathos proclaimed, rolling his eyes.

Celestine suddenly jerked her head towards him. "What do you mean he left you to die?" The Absol brushed her off, though, more concerned about the heated argument he was having.

"Oh, right, that," Basileus spat. "I see no reason for why you should care so much about that incident, considering it was caused by _your doing_. Had you decided not to start the fight with the Scrafty, I wouldn't have stepped in. I was simply doing my job as overseer of the camp. And frankly, I wouldn't complain if I were you. You've got a nice place to stay and food to eat. I've damn near saved your life!"

Pathos growled in response to the Rock-type's cutting words. "The fact that you saved my life does not subtract from the problem—that Scrafty was the one who wasted a valuable resource. I'm fairly sure that he was the one who was at fault. I would assum that we both know _Sitrus Berries_ are hard to get. I'm not exactly one for that. Even I have a point where I stand up against the problem."

Celestine snapped and rose her voice, swiftly making the two go silent. "I really don't know what happened between you two, but _please_ don't start making a scene." She huffed angrily. "Thank you."

Basileus and Pathos shared a look before the Tyranitar huffed and looked away, returning to his food. "Whatever. Just don't be late to mission selection. The attendant there isn't exactly the happiest guy when things aren't pretty much on time." Basileus grinned. "By the way, nice scarves—haven't seen them hand something out like that in a while. Keep them in good condition, they're expensive." Having said that, the Tyranitar returned to chatting with his partners.

Pathos rolled his eyes and motioned for Celestine to follow him. They gave the other team a fleeting glance before moving on from the scene. One thing to strike Pathos as odd, though, was that the whole time, Celestine had been levitating their trays like it was nothing. Curious, he asked, "Doesn't that get tiring, holding things in the air like that? Don't you need a ton of concentration to do that?"

She tilted her head. "Huh? Well, I mean, not really. With larger objects, yeah, it can take its toll, but it doesn't usually cause us psychics any mental or physical fatigue unless done for hours on end."

The Disaster Pokémon nodded, acknowledging her answer. It made sense then; he'd seen her do it multiple times, and he even saw Vadimas do it a few times as well with no repercussions to either of their states.

Eventually they came upon an empty spot, flooding the two with relief. Celestine set down their plates, and they took their seats on opposite sides of the table. Pathos, finally able to divulge himself in the delightful act of eating, dug in immediately. Celestine slowly picked away at her food, much like she did at the cafe in the village.

"So..." Pathos asked when he took a break from eating, "how has it been here so far? I mean, it hasn't even been half a day, but you certainly seem to be enjoying yourself. I mean, the beds are great, and this food is actually really good. At least, compared to what I'm used to eating."

The Sun Pokémon beamed at him, nodding her head. "Mhm! This place is really cool so far. Admittedly, last night, with Serafino, I was a little scared, but he does seem pretty laid back, and he's also really cool. I think I'm going to enjoy my time spent here." Her smile dissipated, and she asked, "But what about you? More specifically, what you and Basileus were arguing about. What did you mean by him pushing you to death?"

Pathos bit his lip and turned away. _Well... I'm not surprised that she asks, but I also don't know exactly how to word it... Maybe I could find a way to shrug it off?_ He huffed, looking back at the Espeon.

The Disaster Pokémon chuckled a bit and resituated the scarf around his neck. "It's honestly a kind of—but not really—funny story. To sum it up, when I was left stranded out in the desert, I was there because that sack of shit decided to intervene in some of my business. I was already in tatters from a fight I got into, and he jumped in, making my condition worse. After he threw me out, I wandered about for Arceus knows how long. I still have no clue how I even managed to walk, or how far I even made it before collapsing."

She was silent for a bit before she spoke once more. "I see... That would certainly explain quite a few of the things he said to you, then. I just can't seem to believe that you'd managed to come out of the onslaught he unleashed. Had I not come to your aid, you really could have died out there. You need to be more careful, you know?"

He shrugged, unabashed. "I guess so. Sometimes I just wish my life weren't so chock-full of stuff like that. It makes it so much harder for me, and even more unpleasant for everyone else." The Dark-type ingested some more food, savoring every bite.

"I don't know if I can exactly sympathize, but I think I get what you mean." Celestine shook her head, as if clearing her thoughts. "All that aside, Basileus _did_ say to get to selection soon, so I reckon that we finish up here and get going, yeah?"

The duo made sure to swiftly make up for the lost time from their conversation and ate away, not sharing much after the fact, Pathos mostly just savoring the delicious aftertaste from his food.

Once they had finished eating, they weaved through the crowd, Celestine in front. They managed to get to the exit together, and they emerged back into the large cavern, still not used to the numerous Pokémon present.

The two tried to make sense of their surroundings and head to where it was they were supposed to go, but could not figure it out with the commotion around them clogging their minds.

Just when Pathos was about to say that he was going to give up, both he and Celestine brightened up as they heard a familiar voice. _"Pathos? Celestine? It's Iris. In case you were wondering, I'm contacting you telepathically. I need you to report to the mission selection room for your benchmark mission. I am currently there, awaiting your arrival. I believe I sent you there last night, before you met Serafino._

 _"What I need you to do is to make your way back there, and the assistant there will help you get a task and take you to the teleportation room. Wait a moment—"_ Iris went silent for a few seconds before sending them another message. _It seems that I will no longer be present, someone just came into the lobby, and since I'm the only one for the job, I must return. I expect to hear back from someone that you made it there. I'll try to meet up with you after your mission. Good luck."_

Pathos looked at Celestine, and the look of confusion she wore equally matched his own. Nevertheless, she put a spring in her step and motioned the Disaster Pokémon to follow her.

It took them a reasonably long amount of time to make it through the thick, and even more so to find the right hallway. By the time they arrived in the large room where they met the Electivire, Pathos figured they wasted at least half an hour.

Pathos and Celestine found the place to be crowded beyond belief. There were Pokémon left and right, taking up most of the space in the area, though there were a few open spots here and there. Most of the Pokémon flocked to the side with the cork board, though a few situated themselves at the chairs on the far side.

The people over by the board were collecting sheets of paper and then heading on over towards the reception desk, where there was now a Snover instead of the Electivire from last night.

When the Snover was no longer busy handling papers, it looked up and spotted the duo. "Ah, you two must be Team Reformity, yes? Right on time! Come quickly before another team gets my attention."

Pathos and Celestine walked over slowly. When they made it, the Frost Tree Pokémon said in a detached voice, "Iris told me that you guys were on your way. She handed me your benchmark mission to give to you guys in her stead. I'll explain the basics to you once we get to the teleportation room. Just give me a moment to find someone to take over my position for a little bit."

They waited for a few minutes in the obnoxious place until the Snover found an acceptable replacement for his post. He then proceeded to lead the team out of the room and through various corridors.

"Allow me to introduce myself. The name's Edur, I'm one of the many people who man that aggravating post. From what I've heard, you arrived last night, so that means you met Cian, he was the Electivire who manned the post last night. He's a bit of a slowpoke, though, isn't he?" Edur turned to face them. "Anyway, things have been really difficult for everyone lately, what with all of the Influxes and need to rescue people out in the desert with our encampments.

"Things are made even more difficult do to the way we have to acquire our food supply. It's not like we trade it. We specifically have to pay the Emperor for all the things here, and I'm not talking a little bit of pocket change from everyone here. I mean huge chunks of our treasury. I mean, it wasn't always so severe, but with some of our camps being hit by Influxes, we lose a substantial amount of valuable items, mostly food and wood."

Edur chuckled softly. "But despite all of this, life here is fantastic, given the foundation this city was built on. I tell ya, those Ground-types sure are hard workers. It's said they managed to dig that big cavern out there in a little less than two years. Fort Securitas is one hell of a place to be, if you can land a place to stay."

Pathos tilted his head, perplexed. "Wait, Fort Securitas? I thought this whole place was The Invictus? So then The Invictus is just this area farther underground than the city outside?" he asked.

"Oh, yes. The Invictus is just a facility within Fort Securitas. It seems that many people think the same thing as you. Though, once you two get the chance to look around, go explore the place. It's gorgeous, especially Lake Dorothea, the entire reason the city was even built here," the Snover said excitedly.

Pathos and Celestine both nearly gasped. "Wait, you mean..." Pathos started, Celestine finishing for him, "There's a lake here? As in, a bountiful supply of water?! That's incredible! How did they even manage to find out that there was an underground lake here in the first place?"

Edur shrugged as the group took a corner at the end of the hallway. "I'm not sure of the specifics, but I've heard that they used the combined efforts of Water-types and Ground-types to locate a source of water. Emperor Amarandos is, as you may know, the one who is ultimately in charge here. Serafino is essentially just the second-in-command here." The Snover waved distracting thoughts away. "He really is quite the character. He may be the Emperor, but he is really down-to-earth. I've heard that he does really nice things for the community, though he can't always do the best.

"Anyway, He wanted to have a big waypoint out in the desert for not only travelers and traders, but also to extend the reach of his power. He wanted to give it more of a purpose than that, though. He wanted an organization that could supply help to those who required it, and thus, Fort Securitas and The Invictus were born, the latter a bit later than the former."

Celestine gave her signature smile. "He sounds like a nice guy, but I can't imagine the amount of stress the Emperor gets from running the Empire. I can't imagine how much he probably needs to rest. I was actually really surprised to even see Him here last night when me and Pathos arrived."

Edur was taken aback. "Oh, you were here then? That's even earlier than I thought you'd arrived." The Snover laughed once more. "Geez, it's been ages since we got new recruits..." The Snover recollected and nodded in acknowledgement. "But yeah, He pays occasional visits here to check up on the status of The Invictus and to deliver messages—with the help of a few guards, of course," the Frost Tree Pokémon said.

The group passed the time by talking on and off until they reached the teleportation room after around ten minutes of walking. Inside, Pathos was astonished to find out how much different it was than the rest of The Invictus, though it was a little like the lobby up above. Tile and smoothed walls were the main similarities, though there were bound to be a few others, he assumed.

On the far wall, there was a sizable map, detailing an enormous area with many different places being labeled, the main focus being a roughly shaped piece of brownish-tan land, titled "Ahriman's Dream". A prevailing mountain range ran along the east side of Ahriman's Dream, named "Tartarus Mountains". On the eastern side of the Tartarus, a span of green enveloped one's vision. The further one looked, though, the more it turned to tan-colored hills, eventually leading to a large body of water, though there was a point of interest here—a large, rough peninsula—being labeled in bold, stylized letters, "Urbe". Small islands littered the southern coast of the peninsula, and another mountain range bordered the top of the peninsula. On the contrary, a large area of blue was dominant to the west of Ahriman's Dream, taking up the west side of the map.

Beneath the map on the ground was a large platform, able to carry at least twenty different Pokémon, with stairs leading up to it. Two Beheeyem were situated at the top, a few teams showing them sheets of paper, and then being teleported by the Cerebral Pokémon. Edur nodded at Pathos and Celestine, and they walked up the stairs.

One of the two Beheeyem turned to greet Edur and the team. _"It seems that you've brought to us another new team, haven't you, Edur? It's certainly been a while."_ The Beheeyem then turned to Team Reformity. _"We shall go over the basics with you now."_

Edur nodded. "When you pluck a job off the board, you will consult one of the attendants in the mission selection room, like me. We make sure that you are capable of facing the challenges it provides, among other things. We also test it's validity and truthfulness. If it's good to go, you take it here."

 _"When you arrive here, we will go over the mission, and validate you for teleportation. Most of the time, the client will give a specific location for us to teleport you to. However, there are times when a specific name is not given, and you are instead teleported to the nearest waypoint set up by the Empire. It is also these waypoints that the compass on your badge will point towards when you need to be teleported back here. More specifically, the compass points to the waypoint closest to your position. Check your compass often on your way to one of the points, as to make sure that you do not lose your way._

 _"Notwithstanding, before we teleport you to the destination of the client, however, you will be given specific information about what direction and how far you are to travel to reach the locale on the mission statement. It is crucial that you follow these details with utmost accuracy._

 _"When your mission is complete, such as reaching a client who is to be rescued, you will use the badge Serafino has provided you with to transport the client back. Do not inquire how it can do this, what is important is that you know how to use the device, not how it works. The badge is activated via spoken message. The message you are to deliver is, 'Objective complete. Sending client to base.' However, if your job is something that does not involve rescuing, then you are to simply retrieve the item asked for, or you achieve any other possible mission objective."_

Pathos was mentally taking notes on what was being said. He was sure Celestine would remember it all, but if he had not a clue about what to do, then he would simply become dead weight. He felt something stir within him, and it made him excited.

"But, those are only a few of the many different kinds of jobs to pick from. Not all of them involve mystery dungeons, and some even detail just helping someone out within The Invictus. The selection can be very broad, and you'll have to prepare yourselves for it. If any questions are on your mind about the job you're thinking about taking, be sure to ask one of the mission assigners—again, like me—or the Beheeyem here."

Celestine looked like she got everything, but Pathos was still a little hesitant on things. Though, he didn't get much time to be concerned about it, because the Beheeyem signaled the other Cerebral Pokémon, and they floated over to the middle of the platform.

 _"It seems like everything is in order. Before we teleport you, Edur will go over the mission details with you. Do pay attention to what he tells you, for you do not get to keep the mission statement,"_ the other Beheeyem stated.

"Thank you," Edur said to the Beheeyem, who nodded and turned to assist some teams that just walked in. Edur placed the sheet of paper he had been holding the whole time on the ground in front of the group. Spread across its surface was a multitude of things, varying from a description to a location. "I want you to quickly read over this and tell me if any of it makes sense to you."

The two nodded and examined the slip. It started:

 _I decided that it would be a good idea to go out and explore, but I suddenly found myself  
_ _trapped_ _within one of these dungeons whilst travelling through the Tartarus,  
_ _and have been forced into a corner, praying that I can fend for myself until my message has been received.  
_ _Please send help soon!_

 _Client identification: Panni._

 _Species: Bayleef._

 _Client location determined as: Alps of Gloom._

 _Allotted time for rescue: Three days._

Pathos was a little troubled with what was being displayed, but believed he got the gist of it. His main question was how anyone could miss the signature warped entrance of a mystery dungeon, visible to even the dullest of minds. It was almost hysterical, and seemed like a joke. He wanted to laugh, but he decided that would be most undesirable for both him and Celestine.

Celestine turned thoughtful then said, "So I would assume that the message at the top would be something the client provided for the team. Then there's the client's name, and their species, the location, and then what I would guess to be how much time they believed they had before they could no longer hold up against what they were facing. Is that correct, Edur?"

The Snover gave an amused chuckle. "For the most part, yeah. Well done, actually. I think most of that needs not be covered, then." He picked the tattered paper up off the ground and said, "Next, allow me to explain a few things to you. It might come across as confusing how clients, if they are stuck in a mystery dungeon, are able to send a cry for help. In all reality, it's a somewhat simple answer. All civilians living in a society that has an acceptable economy, stability, and is self-sustaining receive a special device issued by the Empire. The contraption is the culmination of the research of a multitude of Psychic-types, some of the best scientists the Empire has to offer, and the personal input of the Emperor. Everyone is really impressed with how it came out, not to mention the fact that it's helped save the lives of many."

Celestine grinned. "That's super cool. I'm amazed something like that could be possible. I personally haven't had much experience with mystery dungeons, but from what I can tell, it can't be that easy to pull off." She paused for a bit, then spoke again. "Though, now that I think about it, why the need for an allotted amount of time on the mission statement?"

"That's another thing I was going to explain," Edur responded. "See, that section wasn't always required to be put on the statements. However, it was eventually discovered that mystery dungeons change their shape and designs, as well as wiping the slate clean—anything within the dungeon is, as far as we know, removed from existence. No one knows why it happens, it is only known that it does happen. The Invictus eventually laid out a plan for the problem, and discovered that, usually, there's about four days between each transformation. If a mission is not selected off the board, the next day, the statement is changed, the allotment adjusted by one day. The mission is taken down once the allotted time dips below a preset amount, and the worst case scenario is then assumed.

"And so, the allotted time was decided upon, allowing for maximum efficiency when rescuing from dungeons. Though, be warned—time does not work the same in the dungeons as it does outside. Ninety-six hours outside only equals sixteen hours within the dungeon, so do be careful to pay attention to times. Because of this, you have twelve dungeon hours or seventy-two real hours to get your mission done. You may have been told, but on the backside of your badge, there is a watch that you are to use to keep track of the time.

"However, it is not just any watch. This watch was created by the same people who worked on the device that civilians use, and is made specifically for use in dungeons, so you can keep track of how much real time passes by. When not in a dungeon, the watch will work normally. But, once you enter the dungeon, the watch will speed up its ratios, showing what the dungeon time is. And never, I repeat, _never_ rely on your instinctual perception of time when in a dungeon. Your only friend is the watch on the underside of your badge. Keep it accessible, you'll need it quite a bit.

Edur nodded past team Reformity at the Beheeyem, and said, "That is all. The Beheeyem will now walk you through the rest of the details. Pay attention to the rest of what they say, it will surely come in handy. Remember—use your compass and watch."

Celestine and Pathos turned around, and were shortly thereafter greeted by the Beheeyem. The duo was taken to the center of the platform, where they were positioned upon a sizable square.

 _"Just a few more things before you are sent off,"_ one of the Cerebral Pokémon said. _"_ _Teleportation can be a jarring experience to those who are new to it. It may feel like a variety of things, but the most important thing to note is that it may leave you feeling tired afterwards. No matter what, if you do feel such a symptom, keep pushing forward. It is imperative that you complete your mission on time, and that you do not waste away the allotted time. Just remember that you will follow your compass to the nearest teleportation waypoint to be sent back here once your mission is over."_

The two Psychic-types surrounded the team, the indicators on their arms beginning to blink in rapid succession. _"We shall now teleport you. Remember your mission and how much time you have left. Do not be wasteful, and work with utmost efficiency."_

A mystic glow took the place of the air around the Beheeyem, which soon spread to the team. A low humming overtook all other sounds that reached Pathos' ears. It felt like his hair was standing up on end, and that gravity no longer held its grasp on him.

Within seconds, he could feel all his muscles tense up, and before he knew it, he felt like his limbs were being torn apart, bit by bit. In what felt like eons, he began to lose connection to his mind, and then his corporeal form, and in a split second, his vision went blank.

* * *

 **End of Chapter VI**


	8. Chapter 7: Adumbrate Pt I

**Chapter VII: Adumbrate - Pt. I**

* * *

Just moments after the paralyzing darkness enveloped his sight, Pathos' mind, body and vision returned to him. He fell, though not far. He felt his body thud against a hard surface, another thud coming shortly after. He could have sworn he was in pain, but it happened all too fast for his mind to recognize whether or not it truly was.

Once he adjusted to being able to see once more, he began to take in his surroundings. He seemed to have been sent to a mountainous region, because he was positioned on a rough ledge that rose sharply about ten feet to his left. Just how high up was he?

Looking around, Pathos spotted Celestine a few feet away, and it clicked that the thud he heard earlier was her. There was a thin fog hanging in the air—not enough to hinder his sight, but just enough for it to be a bother.

Pathos gazed to his right, and his eyes widened as he was swept away by a massive expanse of green, flowing up and down like a wave. It would swirl up into overhangs, then it would fade, and then spiral back up again. The land would curve, then flatten, from flatland to valley. Specks of color were splattered about, decorating the landscape like a well-orchestrated painting.

Curvy lines of a stunning blue wove their way in and around hills and through the vales. In any specific section, there was at least one tree, a stream, or patches of yellow, red, and blue. But most of all, anywhere he decided to lay his eyes upon, he would get the same impression: absolute astonishment. The enticing sea of jade, the sparse patches of grey, and the endless stretch of cyan melded together magically.

It was simply too much for him to believe. Pathos never once thought his eyes would be rid of the orange and yellow that had stained them; he was even more surprised that it would be at the hands of such a gorgeous painting. The stark difference between the gray-blue of the ground he was standing on and the grassland's dazzling green, it simply put him in a daze.

He was so engrossed in his stupor that he failed to notice Celestine grunt as she came to. The Espeon stretched after rubbing her eyes, and made her way over to Pathos as soon as she noticed him.

"Ugh... Pathos, are you alright after that? It was certainly... something, right?" she asked, eliciting a lax nod from Pathos. She yawned, and tilted her head. "And what on earth are you doing over here...?" she asked, following the Absol's line of sight until hers connected with the very same spectacle.

"T-that..." Celestine exclaimed, stumbling closer to the edge of a cliff. "This is... it's gorgeous."

He couldn't help but agree—it was simply far too alluring to even begin to avert one's gaze. He found it hard to fathom how any one sight could make someone feel so empowered. If he took a big breath, he could almost taste the enticing scent of the vegetation. Up until now, the only thing he'd ever known was the colorless demeanor of the desert.

 _Now that I think about it... up on this mountain... it's almost hard to breathe. Whether it's the effect of such an astonishing spectacle or something else, I'm not sure._

One thing he was sure of, though, was that either way, he would never be blessed with a visit to the region should he continue to sit and stare. And there was no _way_ he would be willing to stay in the dreary desert after such a sight.

Even then, the duo was helpless to the captivation. And how justified it was, for all their lives they only knew the desert. Why wouldn't they stare?

It wasn't until Celestine had withdrawn from her trance that Pathos was able to do so as well.

How he had not noticed it sooner, he wasn't sure, but the ground was damp, like it had just recently rained.

He tried to help it, but Pathos frowned at the notion. Rain... one of the few things that he would be happy to see, and he simply _had_ to miss out on it. He huffed, and shoved the thought out of his mind.

"Pathos, as much as I'd..." Celestine trailed off before clearing her throat, taking a second to look at the grassland. "As much as I'd like to sit here and think about how _amazing_ it would be to run through that prairie all day, we need to get a move on before we waste too much time. I mean, we came here to rescue someone, and I'm not about to back out from that."

"Y-yeah..." the Absol said, giving the prairie one last fleeting glace as they started to scale the mountain. It was a difficult trail, but they pushed ever more forward.

Though it was a bit of a challenge, it didn't take long until Pathos spotted what they were looking for; just a little off the edge of the cliffside, a portal glistened in the team approached it until they were but a few steps away.

A moment of quiet ensued before Pathos said, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that this would be some kind of trap, and that we'd be left stuck. But given the nature of the dungeons, it's probably going to be something stupid again..."

Celestine looked away momentarily. "Hey... before we go... back when you saved me, how was it? The dungeon, I mean. I... don't really remember much of the experience, my memory from then is a little fuzzy."

Pathos tilted his head and raised a brow. "It's... well, it wasn't easy. I had literally no idea how any of it worked... or of the ferals. I can't believe I thought of them as actual people..."

He shrugged. "I really just did all I could to stay away from trouble and get through as fast as I could. And to think there was actually a time limit on the dungeons... had you been gone another day or two longer..."

She looked down in embarrassment. "Y-yeah, I don't want to think about the 'ifs'... I prefer to think about the fact that you _did g_ et me out of there. Thanks, again."

"Honestly, it's no problem. Like I said, I owed it to you and Vadimas to save you. And to tell the truth...? It made me sick that no one, _especially_ Vadimas, bothered to take the time to search for you anywhere out of eyesight. So in a way, it was also out of anger."

The Espeon thoughtfully nodded. "Ah..." She shook her head. "Well, thanks for answering my questions. In any case, we need to go. I'm not going to sit around as our client is suffering in there. Arceus knows that I suffered back in that dungeon..." she said before leaping in a few silent moments later.

Pathos smiled. "Yeah, let's go. I'm actually kinda looking forward to this too." Giving one last glance to the area around him, he followed suit.

* * *

 **Alps of Gloom - F1**

When Pathos finally shook off the portal's irksome feeling, he was thankful to see that they weren't tossed into oblivion without a second thought, though it wasn't far off. Instead, the team was transported to a bizarre, flat yet mountainous area, their vision obscured by a murky film that hung in the air. The dungeon was certainly far more open than the last, with only one sloped wall barely visible to their left. The ground underfoot was entirely flat, as far as the eye could see. As far as Pathos could tell, it was one of the few similarities between here and the desert.

 _It's quite hard to grasp how this place feels. On one hand, the atmosphere of the place feels almost exactly the same as the dungeon back in the desert... on the other hand, everything about it is different. I'm not sure what to make of it..._

A majority of the first few minutes they were there, neither of the two said anything, either out of a lack for words, or because they didn't feel the need to. Whatever the case, Celestine was the first to speak.

"This is... certainly different. The air is still as heavy as it was outside, and it's making it hard to breathe..." She sucked in a heavy breath. "I can already tell this is going to be a really big problem, not being able to see, and then this... Let's just try to be careful, alright?"

The Absol nodded. "Yeah, I get you. Let's just get a move on, I don't want to stay in here any longer than you do. I hate feeling my fur being stuck to my skin like this," he said, readjusting the small sack that hung around his neck.

Right off the bat it was apparent that the dungeon wasn't about to be the most exciting thing ever. The mist almost completely hindered their sight, and with the ground being so flat, there were no natural defenses one could use in the case of an attack, leaving it all up to one's own abilities. There was no end in sight of the extent of the ground, leaving them to randomly choose a direction.

Team Reformity debated the subject, and eventually settled on walking towards the wall, hoping at the very least it would lead somewhere useful.

Luckily for them, they spotted an exit path within moments of starting their trek. It was only wide enough for one person at a time, but it was the only option they had. However, the joy from the discovery would only last them so long.

Pathos approached the path, and he let out a sickening shriek as his paw slipped and he was nearly sent tumbling down into a previously unseen abyss, with no bottom in sight. Celestine had frozen in place as Pathos frantically got himself back onto solid ground, his heart galloping.

Once she had recovered from the shock, Celestine immediately rushed over and began to check him out, asking, "A-are you alright?! Y-you're completely f-fine, right?"

Getting over the event himself, Pathos responded, "Y-yeah, I think... it's just... I didn't expect there to be, you know... _pits of death_."

He coughed. "I'm... not really fond of heights like that," he said, glancing at the drop-off. "L-let's tread carefully. If we get attacked while on these paths... we're in for some serious problems."

Celestine peered over the edge. "Yeah. I... can't imagine what it's like to fall off... I'm not looking for an answer to that."

They were so shaken up by the incident that they each took several deep breaths before moving on, Pathos in front.

While they slowly walked along—warily checking where they stepped—they shared few words, most of which were different ideas about what they could do in the dungeon to help themselves out as much as possible. Some of those ideas included such things as the most efficient way to get around, or how they would even know where the client would be, or what floor they were on.

If anything, the conversations they shared were distractions to help them ignore the looming danger that could strike at any time. Notwithstanding, they still provided them with a basis for how they would go about finding their client. As silly (and dangerous) as it would be, every once in a while they would call out in hopes of getting a response. It wasn't a flawless plan, but it was a plan nonetheless.

The walkway that the team was on ended up turning away from the wall, much to their dismay. While not entirely a bad thing, it meant more work for them to achieve what should have been a simple goal.

Celestine looked down. "Hey, Pathos, I know I said that I don't want to know what happens if you fall into one of the endless valleys on either side of us, but... what would either one of us do if the other happened to slip and fall? Would there be anything _to_ do? And for the one who falls... w-what would happen to them?"

Pathos stopped and looked back at her. "Is this because of what happened back there? Are you worried it's going to happen again?"

He looked away and a brief moment of silence was drawn before he focused on her again. "I don't know. I just want to believe that if we're careful, we won't have to worry about finding out what happens."

Celestine gave a solemn nod. "I suppose you're right. I guess... maybe it's just the dungeon getting to me. I'll try not to let it bother me anymore. Sorry..."

"It's fine. I can't really blame you. this place is giving me the creeps anyways... Let's try and keep our speed up. The longer we stay here, the more we risk."

The two's conversations were sparse, but they certainly helped sooth the tension and worry. But it didn't distract from the overall problems—the lack of visibility.

Pathos had expected it to improve as they traversed, but it only proved to get much worse. Where they had previously only been able to barely make out things in the distance, now they were lucky if they could see two feet in front of their faces. The two now had to depend upon each other far more than they expected.

Regardless of the fact, they trudged onward, and thankfully avoided trouble thus far. It wasn't long before they had reached another large platform. The wider path did nothing to help them because of their inability to see long-distance. And of course, it was still hard as ever for the duo to breathe.

"You know..." Celestine started out of the blue, "when I wandered into that dungeon a few days ago, I was really confused. I had no clue what was going on, or why there were walls surrounding me. I don't know what I was thinking about that distracted me so much that I'd stumbled into the dungeon. I think I've told you this already, but thank you. Really, Pathos. If... if it weren't for you, I don't think I would be here today, on my way to save someone's life, in the same way you saved mine. You entering my life has brought me one step closer to my dream. I can't thank you enough for that."

The flustered Absol shook his head. "D-don't worry about it. I haven't really been a caring person my whole life, but I couldn't help feeling it was necessary to repay you and Vadimas for your aid. I'm selfish, but... not to that point." His gaze shifted slightly. "You didn't deserve that..."

He cleared his throat. "And if I may say the same, I'm... thankful that you've allowed me to join you here. If you didn't save me, I'd probably still be out in that god damn desert. Or maybe I'd still be wandering, possibly coming across another refugee group, same as it always was. I'd have been pushed around, beat up, and thrown away. I've finally escaped the hell I lived through, and I finally have a place to stay, food to eat, and... someone to talk to."

Celestine smiled. "Hey, don't mention it. We're in this together. Don't forget that."

Pathos slowly nodded. _Right. She's with me, I'm with her... She isn't like anyone else. I'm not forced into this life, I_ chose _this..._

Celestine turned to him. "Anyways, I'm curious—what do you think of the plan we have now? Or, at least, what we have of one...?"

"I'm not entirely sure," he hummed, "but it's better than nothing, isn't it? At the very least, it's a start. I mean, I considered the idea of calling out for you back in that dungeon, but skipped out on it, simply through the assumption that with how long you were gone, you wouldn't have been in any shape to respond. I guess we really can't afford to make that kind of assumption here, though."

"Yeah, it's not like we have many options in the first place..." the Espeon shook her head. "For now, let's just set our sights on accomplishing our mission. That's what matters most here."

Continuing their trek across eerie platforms and walkways, the team made sure to not get too close to either side of the path. After a few minutes of travel, they called out, hoping to get some sort of response from their client—but alas, nothing.

Minutes passed with nothing happening. _I don't understand. It's too peaceful. There's this lingering suspense that just_ hangs _in the air_ _. Something bad's going to happen—but what?_

Pathos bit his lip. _I can't shake this feeling. It's the same tension I felt back at that other dungeon... Maybe it just comes with being here?_

He despised the feeling that rushed through him. At every corner, with every step, it intensified. He wasn't sure if Celestine was experiencing the same, but he could only assume so.

They walked, squinting to try and make anything out beyond the dreary fog. Pathos could barely hear his partner's rapid breathing over his own.

It was blatantly obvious that the team was treading on thin ice. They had gone too long without a problem. The stress was through the roof, and Pathos shuddered at its presence.

The two spent much time warily moving along. Suddenly Pathos stopped, Celestine tilting her head. The ground in front of them abruptly ended. The bottomless pit had spread its inky influence from beyond their sides, and now blocked their path.

"Um... We have a problem." He looked back at Celestine. "There's no way forward. We'll have to go back."

The Espeon sighed, not excited at the idea, but ultimately agreed to make an about-face.

But when she turned, she did not move forward, and simply stared down.

Mesmerized, Pathos asked, "What? What is it now...?"

"It's... the path..." She turned to him with a hollow gaze. "It's gone on this side too..."

The Disaster Pokémon was in disbelief. How could a path that was there before disappear mere seconds after they crossed it?

Pathos wasn't afraid to admit it—he was terrified. He and Celestine were stranded on a platform in a dungeon that was due to reset itself in twelve hours or less.

He spun around to double-check the ledge, in case he may have missed something, anything!

He gasped when he spotted two upright poles jutting from the ground. Tied to them were burly and weathered ropes that extended into the fog. Hanging from the ropes were smaller ropes that held up logs that were tied together. As hard as it was to believe, a bridge had somehow materialized behind their backs.

"B-but... how?!" Pathos muttered. When Celestine turned around, her reaction quite similar.

Pathos quickly looked behind them to make sure the path had not reformed itself. It had not, leaving them with no other choice than to traverse over the bridge.

Pathos swallowed nervously, and hesitated to step foot onto the tattered bridge. He understood that it was the only way they were going to get out of here, but he couldn't help but linger on the possibilities. It was menacing, swaying slightly as if to taunt him.

"Pathos, if you want, I can go first. If it'll help assure you that it'll be okay, I mean..." Celestine suggested.

He nodded, though he refused avert his gaze for a few moments before he carefully switched places with the Espeon.

Pathos waited a few seconds while she walked ahead of him, to give him a little leeway.

When Celestine was roughly ten feet in front of him, he began to make his way forward too. The moment he stepped on the bridge, he could feel every little movement it made, whether they were its own, or from Celestine's movements or his own.

The Absol tried to keep his mind off of things by investigating other aspects of the bridge. It was roughly wide enough for two people to fit on, which made no sense, because the path was only just wide enough for one.

The horizontally suspended logs that made up the walkway varied in size and shape, but remained roughly the same. There were no immediate signs of wear, though it was inherently obvious that it had—despite its sudden materialization—been around for some time.

Pathos paused as he felt it sway, then resumed walking, keeping his eyes glued to Celestine. He had begun to trust the bridge, but was not about to lay his life on the line to protect it.

The further the duo walked, the more Pathos suspected that this bridge would lead to nowhere, and they would then be stuck here forever. He wasn't even sure how much time they'd spent crossing by now. Whether it was an effect of the tension he felt, or that it was truly so long, it felt like an eternity had passed since stepping foot on the bridge, and there didn't seem to be an end anytime soon.

 _Arceus, there's this lingering feeling that just won't go away. I feel like someone's watching, then I look, and no one's there. I suspect the bridge will break, I look, and nothing's going on..._

"H-hey, Celestine?" Pathos said, garnering her attention. "I just... This doesn't seem right. _Something_ isn't right. I don't want to put us in a rush, but could we pick up the pace? I don't want to—"

Something slammed into the back of his skull, knocking him face-down, rocking the whole bridge at deadly speeds. Pathos could barely make out Celestine's muffled screams over the throbbing pain that zoomed around his head.

Pathos' vision was blurred, and his hearing was completely screwed up. However, he got in a stance, and slowly dragged his paws on the logs, his heartrate and breathing at a gallop.

In the blink of an eye, Pathos was impacted with a hit that singed his fur on contact, launching him into the side ropes, nearly causing the whole bridge to flip. Celestine shrieked and attempted to find a way to hold on to the bridge, while Pathos instinctively gathered an ominous aura around his blade.

The Absol was dazed, and his perception was far from optimal. However, he knew he had to do something. He began to rely on sheer assumption.

Another attack didn't come as soon as he expected, but it gave him the time he needed to focus and regain control of his senses. His breathing was heavy, and he was in full-on fight mode.

Merely seconds after Pathos was able to understand what was going on, he heard a cry from above, and soon after, a fiery blur shot through the fog, aiming right for him. He dodged out of the way just in time, where it crashed into the bridge, smashing through it, logs being left ablaze.

Moments after, an orange bird with yellow-tipped black wings shot up through the hole in the bridge before stationing itself on eye level with Pathos.

The Fletchinder cawed menacingly at him, its feathers reverting back to their normal colors from the attack. The two looked daggers at each other before Pathos leapt and swung his blade at full force, narrowly missing the bird, who spun into the air before diving down to ram into the Absol once more.

While Pathos focused on hitting his opponent, Celestine was more worried about either of them slipping or being thrown off the bridge. It was apparent that she had to step in to act, and soon.

The bridge swung back and forth, up and down, and side to side. Pathos would leap from one side, attempt to whack the Fletchinder with a paw, and then land on the other side as the bridge swayed back. These violent actions were going to bring a quick end to the bridge if the fight wasn't ended quickly.

Pathos was getting ready to try and hit the bird with another Night Slash when it was enveloped in an ethereal hue, and a disturbing _snap_ was heard before it went limp and was dropped into the abyss.

Pathos was struck by this, but got an explanation as Celestine quickly made her way over to check on him and make sure he's okay.

"I... I couldn't just stand there and watch as you tear apart the bridge and endanger yourself like that," she quickly explained. "H-here, let me help you out a little..."

She placed her paws on his side and a soothing pulse resounded through his body, and he instantly recognized the sensation.

"That... that's the exact same thing Vadimas did to me while he was taking care of me... you can do that?" he asked.

Celestine looked away, embarrassed. "Y-yeah. He taught me a while back. I don't remember when, but it's come in handy, like now. Do you feel any better?"

He nodded, and she backed up, allowing him to stand back up steadily. His fight certainly took its toll on the bridge; it felt far more frail than ever before. _All the more reason to get off,_ he thought.

Pathos was so caught up in the activities of the day that he entirely forgot about the bag that he brought with him. He quickly felt for it, and was relieved when he found it was still there. He looked to Celestine to make sure that she still had hers, and she did.

The Dark-type sighed, and flipped his badge up in front of him to check the watch (despite not having even known what time it was when they entered) and was surprised to find that not even the second hand was moving as it should have been. He tapped it out of confusion, yet it refused to turn.

"Well, there goes that," he said, letting the badge flip back down. "Looks like they lied about the stupid things. They don't even work in the dungeon."

Celestine rested a paw on his back. "Well, we can worry about that later. There's no way we've made it past twelve hours yet, and you know it. That'd just be impossible."

"Yeah, I guess. Let's just hurry up and get off of this damn bridge. We've wasted enough time here."

Team Reformity made sure everything was in line, shifted their bags to a comfortable position, and made their way forward.

The weakened bridge creaked and bobbed at every step they took, but they pushed on. Very little happened between the two, and Pathos spent the time he had mulling over what had just happened.

 _How is it that this dungeon feels far more dangerous than the last? They don't feel much different, yet they're also so much different. I just can't believe we got out of that alive... I had no reason to just sit there and attack, but Celestine was right to have done what she did. But... would_ I _have done the same...?_

Pathos dropped his head. _We don't have much to work with. Barely any supplies, And what we_ do _have, we don't know what any of it does. The best thing we have are some apples, but I don't see how those could help..._

He retreated from thought and looked back up. He wasn't willing to get stuck in this place, not for one second, not after the luxuries he had gained after spending so long without them.

Luckily, only a few minutes passed before they had reached the end. The fog started to clear ever-so-slightly, and eventually another large platform came into view, driving the two forward at an accelerated pace.

When they made it onto the plateau, the fog instantly dissipated, and a rich blue sky was revealed, nicely complimenting the grey ground. Off in the distance was the slanted wall that they saw earlier. It turned out that it was actually the side of a mountain.

But, right in the middle of the area was the greatest sight by far—the stairs. It was as appealing of a gift as they could ask for, and they quickly rushed over.

Celestine nearly set foot on the first step, but withdrew and faced Pathos. "Thank Arceus we've found the stairs, but... it's only just dawned on me that we've been so fixated on finding our way around, that we really only made an attempt to reach out to the client once or twice... Do you think...?"

Pathos shook his head. "No, I don't. I'll admit, it would be fairly difficult to get around here without getting lost and ending up stranded, but since the path we took seems to be the only way out, we can only assume that our client's up ahead. I understand that you're worried, but right now I'm more concerned about our own well-being." He brushed past her and began to climb the stairs. "Come on, let's just go..."

The Espeon shot him a short look of disapproval, but marched behind him soon after.

* * *

 **Alps of Gloom F2**

When they arrived on the next floor, Pathos immediately noticed how much harder it was to breathe. It was bearable before, and he'd gotten used to it, but this time it was actually a threat, and the dungeon wanted them to know.

Despite the fact, the fog had been kind enough to allow them a few more feet of sight, granting them the gift of being able to see just a little more, which greatly aided them in staying away from foes.

Through the fog, Team Reformity could barely discern the outline of the sun, dimly illuminating the area like a cheap candle.

The ground had migrated from a dull gray to a slightly more interesting orange-brown with a thin layer of dirt on top. The temperature had also noticeably dropped.

Pathos shivered. He knew from the moment he came to, and saw where he was, that the climate wasn't going to be the same as the desert (as a matter of fact, he already felt it). But the depreciation of the temperature gave him a shock.

"You must be cold too, huh?" Celestine shuddered. "I can't say I blame you. I guess these scarves we received actually did come in handy, huh?"

He nodded. The parts of his body surrounding the fabric felt remarkably warmer than the parts that didn't. He raised a paw up to shift it.

While he knew that there was not much chance the result would be any different than before, he once again peered at the watch on the back of his badge. Contrary to what he expected, every hand had moved. The hour hand moved two spaces, while the minute hand had moved ahead a few more.

He was going to bring it up to Celestine, but the shock had soon left his system, and he no longer worried about it. He was amazed he was even surprised by the phenomenon, considering the plenty of obscure things they had run into thus far.

Pathos sucked in a heavy breath, reminding him just how hard the air was to breathe. Every second that passed by without him taking another breath saw him feeling lightheaded.

He tried to ignore that factor, and instead tried to focus. He wasn't sure how much Celestine wanted to return home, but he was now aware that he desired it much more than he cared to admit.

"A-anyway, let's get going. This place is just getting on my nerves, I hate it," Pathos bitterly said, garnering a sympathetic nod from Celestine.

Team Reformity made sure everything was in check before setting off. The paths felt ever more stressful to walk on after Pathos' recent encounter on the bridge. It was now understood that an enemy could strike at any time from anywhere.

Like in the desert dungeon, the dirt dug in between his toes and claws, giving him an unbearable urge to dive into a tub of water. However, as odd as it seemed, it served as a reminder that they needed to be wary and ready for attacks. They only had one shot at this job, and they needed to make it count if anything good was going to come from it.

Every so often, indistinguishable sounds could be made out from somewhere beyond the fog. For the most part though, it was extraordinarily quiet, just like the last floor.

The two turned a sharp corner. Pathos shook his head. He knew that it was simply part of how the dungeon worked, yet he couldn't get used to the unnatural formations it provided them. Instant turns, thick fog, a lack of air, and a sense of foreboding that would never leave, it all mixed together in the perfect concoction to piss him off.

The Absol slightly shifted the bag around his neck. When he picked the thing up back at base, he only impulsively slung it around his neck, and didn't put any real thought into it. There was nothing in it, but he felt that he still needed it, even though they had the one they were issued by the Empire.

 _On the subject... What the hell did they give us in the bag? I mean, the apples, whatever. But those weird yellow things... What are they? Why would they give them to us...?_

After a few minutes, they arrived at another plateau, and to their pleasure were greeted with a clearing. The fog dissipated only as far as the edges of the platform, but oddly enough, they were capable of breathing well in the area.

"Well... at least there's this..." Pathos said, looking up and around, happy to have some form of light shining upon them again, instead of being doused in dreariness.

He walked out to the middle and plopped to the ground on his side, scattering dust into the air. "Do you think we can sit and rest for a bit? We didn't get a chance after... _you know_."

Celestine nodded. "Yeah, we can do that. But... we can't stay too long. We still need to save... Panni, right?"

The Epseon trotted over and sat down with a huff, dropping her bag in the process. She lifted the flap but accidentally flipped the bag over, spilling its contents on the dusty ground.

She let out a small groan, and telekinetically picked up the two apples, and gave one to Pathos, who gratefully took it and promptly dusted the fruit.

The Absol took a bite out of the apple, letting its flavor bless him. It wasn't the best thing in the world, but for what it was worth, it was great.

Celestine swallowed and said, "You know, despite the near-death experience we had, this dungeon hasn't been as bad as I thought. I'm not wanting to jinx it, but we've had to have come pretty far at this point. I mean... yeah, I got lost in that one dungeon before, but... now I have you! _We_ have each _other_. When one of us is in trouble, we can count on the other to help out, and that does absolute wonders to motivate me.

"You'd think because of the obvious risk to my life that I'd want to back away and sulk about my decision to stay at The Invictus." Celestine's gaze turned distant. "But when there's someone for me to help... I don't want to back down. It's probably hard for you to understand, but I can't let it go when I'm given the opportunity to lend a hand. And you being here allows me to achieve that goal. Again, thank you."

Pathos gave a reserved nod. He was half paying attention because he was mulling over concerns of his own. He didn't want to entirely brush her off, though, and quickly thought of a reply.

"It's not that big of a deal. I've done some... _questionable_ things in the past that I'm not exactly proud of, so it's great to know that I can be of help. This isn't what I expected to be doing when I left two days ago. T-that's not to say that it's a bad thing! It's just that I didn't really plan for this."

He took a bite out of his apple. "Anyway, what do you—"

Pathos was cut off by a disturbing clicking noise coming from behind, and he immediately shot up, Celestine doing the same shortly.

Nothing happened at first, and Pathos was about ready to lower his guard when a blue blob shot out from beyond the fog, clipping him as he dodged out of the way.

The Absol was thrown to his side from the sudden attack, and Celestine quickly braced herself after barely dodging the team's foe.

The creature spun midair and landed on its clawed feet. It was round, and sprouted a massive horn from the top of its head. The Heracross' wings were spread out, and it was hunched over.

Its glare sent a chill down Pathos' spine, and he soon realized how much of a threat the Bug-type posed. It already showed off its ability to move around quickly, and at the very least, he was aware of the power the species was capable of.

He quickly got up and prepared for battle, already feeling energy flow through him.

Team Reformity carefully watched the Heracross, waiting for it to make a move. After a solid minute of stare-down, the Heracross fluttered its wings and rocketed towards the duo.

Celestine ducked under the bug, unable to get away quick enough, while Pathos jumped aside, once more barely being grazed by the beast.

"Look, we need a game plan, and quick! We can't just—" Pathos slashed at his opponent as it engaged him. "We can't just go in headfirst with no clue what to do. What do you think?"

"I-I don't know! I've never had to be directly part of a fight! Just... give me a bit!" Celestine rapidly responded, trying to focus on the Heracross to assault it with her psychic powers.

Pathos was looking for ideas himself, and soon he came to an odd conclusion. _Do we have anything that we've been given we can use?_ He glanced over at the pile of items on the ground, covered in dust.

He swiftly dodged a jab. "Celestine, hold him off, I'm going to try something!" he exclaimed, sprinting over and eyeing what lay on the ground.

 _I mean, it's a crazy fucking idea, but it's all I've got!_ he thought, picking up one of the yellow objects in his mouth.

"Pathos, get out of the way!" he heard his partner shout, and as he moved away, he unintentionally bit down hard on the object, which made a _snap!_ and started to give off copious amounts of heat.

The emanation sent a searing pain into his mouth and skull. It was far too much for him to handle, and he whipped his head towards the Heracross and threw the object right at it.

Upon contact with its hard shell, the yellow object let out an ear-piercing whine before a massive explosion wracked the area, thrusting Pathos to the ground and singing his fur.

Pathos was unable to make anything out after the explosion. His ears were ringing, and there was a large white patch in his vision from looking at the explosion. It took a little while before the patch dissipated. There was tons of smoke hanging in the air, but it soon retreated, revealing the destruction.

The Heracross,was belly-flopped on the ground, or what was left of it was. Missing limbs could be spotted strewn about, either whole or partial, while chunks of the Heracross' body were blown out, and the horn it once took pride in was cracked and barely hanging on. A large, roughly circular region of charred ground lay beneath it, shading the slight crater left behind.

Now that his senses were somewhat back, Pathos got to his feet and looked around for Celestine. He found her laying on the ground, seemingly motionless, and he instantly ran over.

He shakily rolled her over, and put his paws on the sides of her head. "C-Celestine?! Are you alright?"

"I... I think? What in _Arceus' name_ was that? What did you _do_?" she groaned quietly and rubbed her eyes. Pathos backed off so she could get up.

Pathos glanced back at the Heracross. "Well... you know those weird yellow things that we got? I took one of those, and when you told me to move, I accidentally bit down on it, and when it cracked, it gave off tons of heat, so much that it hurt. When I thought about it, he was coming after me, and I needed to get rid of the damn thing, so I threw it at him. Who knew it'd do... _that..._ "

"Well... at least we know what their use is now." Celestine also passed a glance at the downed Bug-type. "Let's just get going. That fight would have been more than enough to alert other ferals of us..."

Team Reformity quickly dashed to their possessions and gathered them, placing them back in the team bag.

Once more the team was given the opportunity to choose which path to follow. There was a fork in the road that split into two paths. One was visibly worn-out, and didn't give a very pleasant vibe. The other wasn't much better, but it had the benefit of giving a safer walkway.

They instinctively chose the second path, and made way. Celestine was in the lead, Pathos a few feet behind.

Ever since the fight, Pathos was paranoid, waiting for something to happen at every turn or clearing they would come across. The longer they stayed, the harder it was to breathe.

Barely any time had passed since they left the clearing, and their breath was already at a standstill. Both team members would have to stop from time to time to gasp for air. A few minutes later, they would stop again.

Pathos felt terribly weak, and every step he took taxed him. Celestine was visibly exerting the same symptoms he was, so he knew she couldn't have been in much better shape.

If they got into another fight, what would they do? What _could_ they do?

The Absol looked ahead. The fog had grown more obtrusive and crushing since they entered the floor. Definitely not good for them.

 _It feels like we're being watched, every step we take, every move we make, it's all predicted and ready to be countered... Can we not catch a break?_

Pathos swayed his head. Was Celestine feeling the same paranoia? Or had she pushed it out of her mind to help her move forward?

Pathos violently shook the thoughts out of his head. If there was any chance of them making it out with the client, then they needed to focus on the mission and their plan.

Pathos coughed before clearing his throat and quickly shouting, "H-hello? Panni? Can you hear me?!"

Celestine stopped and mindfully turned around to face the Absol. She wore a heartbreakingly solemn expression. "Hey, do you think that maybe... maybe we're too late? I mean, we've called out every so often for a while now, and yet there's no response."

Pathos was surprised at her pessimistic remark, and didn't know how to react. "Well... we really can't be sure. When I found you back in the desert, you were at the very end of the dungeon, and before I found you, I started to suspect that maybe I didn't make it, or you weren't there."

He sucked in a breath. "I assume you tried your very best to escape. Would it not be correct to assume Panni did the same thing? I really think we'll find her later on. Don't stress yourself too much, okay? Let's worry about our safety first."

A slight scowl formed on her face before a deep growl echoed around them, forcing them to forget about their conversation.

Pathos shrank back in fear. "Okaaaay, we've stopped for long enough. We need to move. If we don't make it out of this place, we'll both have failed at something..."

Celestine nodded, and almost took another step before another growl was heard, this time more prominent.

"Celestine...?" Pathos muttered, hoping she'd catch his drift.

She nodded adamantly. "Yeah. Looks like there's no running. We need to make this quick. Are you ready?"

He knew she didn't need an answer. He steeled himself, and focused. _It's not like we have a choice, but is engaging in combat worth the risk? We can barely breathe, let alone focus, and I occasionally feel like I'm going to topple over. But I can't let that get the best of me right now, because our lives depend on it._

Another growl reverberated, followed by faint footsteps from behind. The two turned around just in time to be greeted by a shadow from within the mist. it was tall and bulky, and the shadow soon grew more visible, Team Reformity preparing more and more.

A brown, clawed paw emerged from the fog, followed by an arm, and soon after that, the body it belonged to. Pathos could feel himself pale the more he trailed the figure until he gazed at its face. The creature that had just emerged from the fog was an Ursaring, and it did _not_ look happy.

The bear let out such a terrifying roar, Pathos' heart skipped a beat; he could have sworn he felt the ground shake.

The Ursaring's right forearm glowed a bright gold-white, and faster than anticipated, it lunged forward.

"Move!" Pathos shouted, sprinting underneath the beast as it brought its fist down to the ground, shattering it so badly, Pathos thought the path would collapse.

Pathos swung his blade into the backside of his foe, the Night Slash gouging through the fur and skin of the Ursaring.

It bellowed in pain, and swiftly made an about-face and slammed its paw on the Absol's neck with so much force it felt like his windpipe had been crushed, taking away what little breath he had left.

Pathos gasped and struggled against the Normal-type's grip, which it promptly tightened. It lifted him off the ground, and Pathos felt enormous strain on his neck.

He was suffocating, his vision was blurred, and he couldn't tell if the Ursaring was going to choke him out or crush his neck even more. Through dry wheezes, he was able to garner a plea. "Celestine, help...!"

The bear held the Absol out over the edge, and his heart stopped as he realized he was probably going to be dropped, and his passive flails turned into useless endeavors to save his life.

But instead of simply letting go of the Absol, it swung its club of an arm and unclasped Pathos' neck, sending the now stunned Pokémon careening towards the abyss that he feared so much. All his brain recognized after that was a distressed "No!" from Celestine.

He was in complete panic, flailing around like a madman in a crazy attempt to somehow get back up. He knew it was imminent that he would die, but he wasn't willing to let it happen passively.

 _There's no way this is it! Am I supposed to lay flat and let this happen? After I've been blessed with so much! It really was for nothing, wasn't it? It was just life, fattening its prey before it kills them..._

However, instead of being enveloped by endless darkness much like he expected, a massive _CRACK_ resounded, and an ethereal force halted his decent.

After a few deathly silent and stressful seconds, Pathos felt his being slowly rise back up from the depths, and it wasn't long before he regained sight of the trail, and the endless sea of fog.

When the Absol was lifted over the ledge, he was presented with the mangled body of an Ursaring, and a Celestine with sky-blue eyes.

Pathos was gently set on the ground, where he immediately started sputtering and grasping for air, clutching his throat, while Celestine's eyes immediately lost their neon hue, and she stumbled but managed to catch herself.

Pathos was agape from the moment he saw the crumpled mess, and couldn't peel his eyes off the corpse of the Ursaring. It was twisted in all sorts of ways. It was crunched into a massive ball, its back bent over backwards, its arms twisted and crunched into the body, and its legs seemed to have retracted into each other. It was almost sickening to look at.

He was so caught up in the crazy turn of events that he hadn't even realized his heart was thumping so fast it heart. Had he really been that terrified?

Without detaching his eyes from the Ursaring, he paced over to his partner. "...Celestine, you... what...?"

She was huffing, her actions having taken a toll on her. "I... when it had you in its hands, it looked like it was going to snap you in half. It had you in the air, and when it started to pull on you... I just... shut off, and I guess..." She looked up at him with caring eyes. "I can't... I can't believe I managed to save you. I wasn't sure what to do, so I just... acted. Are you okay?"

"Well... I'm here, so..." He paused, and did a double-take. "It... it didn't have me up in the air, though, did it? It was holding me by my neck, and tossed me off the cliff! What do you mean?"

"I... What? But I saw it with my own eyes... What are you on about?" she inquired.

"Did... It's the dungeon screwing with us. It _has_ to be. You probably were hallucinating... or something. Or maybe I was, or maybe both of us were. Whatever. That shouldn't be happening..."

"Y-yeah..." Celestine agreed while nodding her head. "We _really_ have to get going now. I... I get the feeling that he wasn't alone when he attacked us. It's... way too hard to breathe to keep fighting, and there's no way that this place would let us off the hook that easily. I could just be paranoid, but..."

Pathos bobbed his head. "Yeah, no, I see what you're saying. I'm not exactly ready for another fight yet, either."

A faint sound was heard behind them, and he shot a glance in that direction. "Let's just get a move on. This fucking dungeon's already given me enough reasons to hate it..."

Team Reformity attentively paced down the narrow path. After all the trouble they'd faced, so much time had to have been wasted. Was Celestine right? Would their client still be reachable?

Pathos looked at his teammate. It was obvious now that this mission had been placing immense amounts of pressure on her, yet she kept pushing forward. She'd practically saved him three times in this dungeon, and he had not returned the favor. _Perhaps I should take the lead, there's no way she can focus like this..._

A loud and deep howl resounded from behind the team. Both of them looked back, and all that could be seen was faint red and orange.

This time, the duo didn't wait to see what it was. With one gesture from Pathos, they sprinted (though one would barely call it running), trying their damnedest to not slip and fall off the edge.

 _Arceus! All I want is some time to relax and_ not _be attacked by some random piece of shit feral! As if gasping for air every minute wasn't enough!_

The Absol sneaked a quick glance back and spotted the same red-orange blob—except it had grown. It was now a curved trail in the air, starting small and ending large.

"Celestine, I know it's probably obvious, but we need to speed it up! Whatever that was, it's right on our tail!" Another howl made its way to their ears.

"I... I know! I don't know where we're going, but we can't risk either—or both—of us losing anymore. We've already done that too much!"

By now, a few more different cries could be made out. Team Reformity was in a dead sprint, and it wasn't long until their hopes were devastated.

In a familiar turn of events, the team stopped dead in front of another set of upright poles—another bridge.

Pathos stared with discontent, not at all pleased with the sight, but Celestine looked back at him pleading eyes, and he capitulated. Celestine walked on first, Pathos right behind her after a small moment of hesitation.

They weren't able to walk across the bridge as fast as they liked, and the assorted cries continued to grow louder.

Pathos threw away his inhibition, and trudged onward, hastening his gait. Pathos glanced back in nervousness. He saw nothing.

"Celestine, I... I didn't thank you for saving my life. Again. So, uh, thanks..."

"That's like the third time you've told me that." She paused. "I'm just glad to know I can do it..."

Without warning, the bridge shook violently, signifying the arrival of Team Reformity's pursuers.

"Well, I think we've walked slow for long enough. Let's go!" Pathos announced without looking back and pushing for Celestine to move faster.

Because he didn't check, he couldn't be sure, but Pathos was fairly sure that the ferals that wanted their hide wouldn't follow them onto the bridge, though he could be mistaken after the massive shake.

"Oh! Just there, I can barely make it out...! the end of the bridge, Pathos!" Celestine called in a raspy voice, gesturing in front of her.

Team Reformity was motivated far more than ever now that an escape path made itself known. They would escape from their pursuers!

But no, it was not that simple. A deafening _FWOOSH!_ boomed, and the duo stopped dead in their tracks.

The two looked back, and were scared stiff. Neither of them wasted their energy to investigate and find out just who they were being chased by, and it was only safe to assume that they were fire-types, because even through the thick fog, they could see the distinctive outline of fire—and it trailed the same path as the bridge.

"...Oh shit," Pathos muttered, slowly backing up. "That's not good. If it keeps burning..." He looked at his partner. Celestine...?"

"I know... Stop staring and get a move on, and don't think about it! Just _run!_ "

With a stumble, they whipped around and sprinted, their claws digging into the planks. Their movements shook the bridge, making for a difficult surface to run on.

With every step, Pathos could feel the bridge sink more and more, yet he and Celestine pushed forward.

It felt like minutes had gone by before they hurriedly arrived on solid ground, yet it was only some thirty seconds.

A snapping sound caught their attention, and the bridge's platform finally collapsed, and it slowly feel until it was out of view.

The two of them huffed, trying to catch their breaths after yet another close encounter. _How many times is that today I've almost died? Five?_

"W-well," Celestine murmured before clearing her throat, "I... yet again we almost..." She shook her head. "Ugh... Let's just... keep going..."

Pathos looked up to see where they ended up. It was another plateau, but the fog had not cleared up. Instead it had worsened dramatically.

He paced weakly to the middle, and was incredibly relieved to see those welcoming stairs. He let himself fall onto the stone, and barely held back a stressful scream. He heard quiet footsteps near him followed by a solid _thump_.

"We're both worn out, huh...?" Celestine said. "I'd like to take a break, but we just can't afford to... This job... it's difficult. But... I like it. I'm finally out of that stupid desert, and I'm actually choosing for myself. I'm glad that you're here to help me out along the way. I know I've repeated myself, but..."

She stretched and then stood up straight. "You probably don't like it, but I'm telling you we need to go now."

She stepped over the downed Absol and onto the stairs. She climbed it slightly, and looked back. "Well, are you coming?"

He lay still for a few moments, but forced himself to his feet. He gave a light nod, and got in line behind Celestine

With the team in order, they ascended the flight of stairs, with one thought left on Pathos' mind: what else would go wrong?

* * *

 **Continued in Pt. II**


	9. Chapter 7: Adumbrate Pt II

**Chapter VII: Adumbrate Pt. II**

* * *

 **Alps of Gloom - F4**

The third floor surprisingly gave them no more trouble than restricting their breathing, sight, and comprehension. There were no signs of the client, or any enemies. It certainly went by far smoother than the other floors.

But when Team Reformity exited entered the fourth floor, all their expectations were obliterated.

The land no longer remained flat. It curved up and down, dipped in some spots, and bulged in others, sometimes forming spikes that rose threateningly. The ground now carried a blue-gray hue, and it was quite wet, and some puddles pooled around. The fog was now as restricting as physically possible, causing the humidity to clutch their lungs.

Pathos tried to breathe, but the air was far too heavy, and he was forced to take quick breaths.

Team Reformity assumed the sun was no longer up, because light levels had dropped drastically, enhancing the sense of foreboding.

Celestine sneezed, then said, "I... Arceus, I hope we're near our goal. We barely made it through the last floor on our feet, and now we're struggling just to breathe... not that we didn't already have that problem. Panni must be terribly exhausted..."

Pathos wore a blank expression for a few moments. "Yeah."

"I-I mean, where do we even go from here? How do we go about anything?" she sucked in a sickly breath. "We can't walk around without wanting to pass out!"

The Absol huffed. "I don't know anymore... Arceus... wasn't this supposed to be an entry mission? Why the hell is it so hard?!"

He dropped to the ground. "We've made it this far, there's no backing out, we don't know where our fucking client is, and the sun's going down!" He checked his watch. "And it looks like it's been nearly three hours since I first checked the watch. Which means... at least _eighteen hours_ have gone by outside of this shithole."

Celestine sighed. "...That's... _real_ encouraging. Thanks, Pathos."

"You're welcome," he sarcastically responded.

When the team had finished sulking, they looked at their options. Every single exit from their cliff was a bridge. One was missing logs on the walkway, another was missing some supports, and another seemed as if it would collapse if so much as a feather fell upon it.

They knew at this point it really wouldn't matter which one they chose. Celestine wanted to go down one that showed relatively little signs of wear, while Pathos argued that they should instead go down one that was more worn out, since that would prove its reliability.

She needed some convincing, but Celestine eventually (though albeit stubbornly) agreed to follow Pathos down the worn out bridge.

Pathos' hastened breaths from his fear of heights weren't helped by the already tough breathing conditions. A knot was tied in his chest, and he struggled to chug along at even a leisurely pace. Celestine wasn't faring much better herself, but the two forced themselves forward with all their might.

At some point the Absol stopped and vomited all over the logs in front of him, yet the team moved forward.

"Celestine, if we..." Pathos coughed, "if we get into another fight... we may not come out on top again. I don't want to accept that, and I'm sure you don't either, but..."

"Yeah..." she croaked. "We're in a tough situation, and Arceus knows I can barely focus on anything."

The both fell silent. The bridge creaked and bobbed with their movements, and a slight breeze could be felt now.

"Let's just... focus on what's important here. I just want to do what we need to do so that we can get out of here. I'm sick of this place. _Literally_."

They soon came to the end of the bridge, which led to an abomination of a path that veered right. It almost spiraled with the amount of banks it had, and it also led down (or was it up?) into the fog.

Team Reformity took their time moving down the pathway, since the damp ground didn't make for any kind of stable footing at such an angle. The further the dungeon took them, the more difficult it became to do anything. Breathing, walking, even thinking.

Faint sounds were heard in the distance, and echoed around them, or so they thought. With the confusion caused by their situation, neither of them could be too sure.

The two came to a new platform, this one carrying roughly the same characteristics of the last. The fog cleared up somewhat, and breathing was a little more manageable.

The sound of rocks crumbling reverberated behind Team Reformity, and they turned around to watch the pathway they'd come from collapse into nothingness.

"S-something tells me that's not good..." Pathos mumbled.

And yet—nothing happened. They waited for a few minutes, waiting, _expecting_ something to happen. But nothing did.

Pathos and Celestine cautiously crept around the plateau. It was found that there were no paths leading away, trapping them.

The Absol clutched the sides of his head and yelled in frustration (and immediately huffed about ten times to regain his breath). "Why is everything _against_ us? We try and do _one_ thing right, and all our work goes to waste. Arceus, why do we even try?"

"W-well, it's fine," Celestine stuttered out. "We can't be that far, away right...? I understand your frustration, but..."

"Yeah, yeah, we need to save the client, I _get it_. I just wish we didn't have to be stabbed in the back at every turn. Let's go. Or something."

The duo continued their search for a way off, and an answer wasn't made visible until a few minutes later.

Celestine was on the far side of Pathos when a path suddenly materialized in front of her, startling her as she let out a yelp.

Pathos nearly tripped on his own legs as he rushed over by her side, only to let out a frustrated sigh as he spotted the previously nonexistent walkway.

"You know, maybe if we just sit around long enough, the dungeon will give us what we're here for, as well as the exit," he whispered through his teeth, a sarcastic grin flashing on his face.

Celestine chuckled half-heartedly. "Yeah, as if..."

The path was littered with scars, entire chunks missing, and even some gaps the team had to leap over.

Pathos coughed painfully, and sighed. _Why on earth would those bastards send us on this suicide mission? More importantly... how the hell did Panni make it this far, if not farther, assuming we didn't miss her?_

The ground rumbled fiercely for a few moments, freezing the duo to a standstill. _With stuff like that happening, I wouldn't be surprised if—_

A sharp clanging drifted towards them from beyond the fog. They both groaned at the same time.

Out of breath, Pathos said, "Great, more fun. _Just_ what I wanted."

The Absol carelessly walked forward as he prepared an attack for their next encounter.

Celestine lightly bounced behind him, huffing, "P-Pathos, what are you—?"

"Just let me take care of this. I'm beat to hell, and I want to get out of here."

The clanging repeated itself, creating a strange combination of metallic sounds and rocks scraping together.

Pathos growled through clenched teeth. "Whenever he comes at us, I'm going to knock him off. It's the most I can do in these conditions."

The team shuffled forward one step at a time, their hearts beating faster and faster, their breathing reflections of that.

Once more the clanging reverberated. Then again, and again, and again.

By now, Pathos had been given enough time to charge his blade with ominous energy. Should they get ambushed, he was ready to retaliate with a Night Slash; he continued to prowl, ready for an attack.

Pathos' breathing was racing, and he could hear his heart thumping. _If this isn't over quick..._

A gray, bipedal reptile sauntered through the fog. It had a plethora of scales hanging from its body, the main attractions being the ones on its arms, the origin of the clanging noise.

The Hakamo-o's eyes fell upon Team Reformity, and it immediately broke into a mystifying, ritualistic dance. It rubbed its scales together, creating a distorted screeching sound as it swayed and spun around, jingling its other scales.

The dragon's maneuvers carried on for another minute—the clanging getting louder and louder—before it raised its arms and let out a howl. It then looked back to Team Reformity expectantly.

Pathos squinted. "Alright, I've had enough of this." He marched forward and brought his blade back.

The Absol swung, and felt his blade connect with a metallic surface, only to have said attack simply reflected, sending him reeling back. When he landed, a dizziness overcame him, and he shook his head to regain focus,

It had turned out that the Dragon-type had put its arms in a defensive position in front of its face, a massive gash presented upon the armor.

Pathos huffed. "Son of a... Fine. Let's dance."

The Hakamo-o bounded back and forth, swinging its arms, awaiting a move from its opponent. Pathos pathetically lurched forward, and was promptly greeted with a swift uppercut to his chest, the foremost scale on the dragon's arm making contact.

Completely winded, the Absol fell to the ground, clutching his chest in pain and gasping for air.

The Hakamo-o was about to claw the downed Absol when a white blur crashed into it, making it stumble back. The bright white slowly faded to reveal Celestine standing there defensively.

"Pathos, you honestly need to think more about what you do. You can't just rush into a battle and expect a positive outcome!"

"I could... say the same for you..."

Celestine ignored his response, and continued to face off against the opponent.

She tried to focus on the Hakamo-o, but it knocked her back before she could do so.

Pathos had to muster all his strength and will-power to overcome the severe lack of air and the pain resounding through his body to lift himself up to rejoin the fight.

He thrust himself up at the now charging Hakamo-o and quickly jabbed its gut, but instead of making it keel over like he expected, there was instead a searing pain that infested his arm, and he drew back, cursing.

The Hakamo-o kicked him back, where he slammed into Celestine.

Acting quick while dazed, Pathos got up and opened up Celestine's bag, dumping its contents on the ground.

"P-Pathos, what are you...?" she mumbled.

He stopped looked at her pleadingly. "Just, trust me. Please."

Pathos fumbled one of the yellow objects into his mouth and turned around. He bit down on it—yet there was no heat being emanated—and threw it at his opponent.

It smashed into the dragon and a cloud of dark smoke billowed, clouding the area.

"Oh shit—Celestine, close your eyes!" Pathos commanded, closing his own eyes to avoid the pitch-black smoke.

The Hakamo-o started flailing its arms as the infectious smoke got into its eyes. The dragon let out a cry of pain, clutching its eye sockets and staggering.

It began to swing wildly, clanging its scales together. It clawed at the ground, punched the air, and clutched the sides of its head.

One of the Hakamo-o's feet slipped on the damnp rock and it lost its footing, sending it off the cliff, letting out a hideous roar the whole way, until all that could be heard was silence.

Pathos slowly opened one of his eyes. There was still a slight black glued in the air, though it wasn't enough to destroy his vision.

The Absol got up and stretched, but soon fell to the ground. "Well... there's that," he said weakly. "That one didn't do what the last one did. How are we supposed to tell what they do beforehand if they don't do the same thing each time...?"

Celestine shakily rose. She rubbed her shoulder lightly. "Ugh... there goes even more time and energy down the drain..." She too slumped to the ground. "What are we supposed to do...?"

"I..." Pathos started, but he held back, and let out a sigh. _Fantastic. We're fucked. Completely. We have no energy, and we can hardly breathe._ _Now, neither of us want to, or rather,_ can, _go._

Regardless, he forced his muscles to listen to him despite their grounded pleas, and he got up. "Celestine, we're not giving up here, okay? Neither of us want to die in here. Come on, let's go."

Her eyes closed, she nodded, and pushed herself up too. "...A-alright... Let's go..."

Pathos smiled and walked over to her. "It's fine. We'll make it through this."

The Absol looked around, and cleared his throat and sucked in as much air as he could to call out for their client once more. "Panni!? Please, if you can hear me, answer me!"

Team Reformity waited for a little bit, not expecting anything.

"H-hello?! Y-yes! I can hear you!" a soft voice responded from beyond the fog in front of them. "Oh, thank Arceus! Where are you?! Please, I've been stuck here for so long... I just want to get home..."

Celestine immediately brightened up and shouted back, "It's okay! We'll be there soon, I _promise_. _We_ promise."

She looked at Pathos. "Well, you said it yourself, let's go!" she said happily, though also a bit wobbly.

Celestine picked up the one last yellow object and put it back in her bag, and the team went forward.

Pathos found it hard to walk straight, but he did all he could to make a bold front. His vision was the worst part, though, because focusing on anything was impossible. It constantly felt like whatever he was looking at wanted to run away from him.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds and reopened them, allowing him back some of his eyesight.

"Panni, could you talk to us again? We need to know where you are so we can help you!" Celestine said.

A few moments passed. "W-well... I-I don't know where I am, but I'm on some sort of platform," her voice resounded in front of them from above.

A small pause ensued. "I got up here by some trail, but when I saw there were no other exits, I went to go back down it, but it collapsed."

"Well... we hear her, but... where is she?" Pathos asked before the team entered another fogless platform. They both sucked in a ton of air, realizing that the lack of oxygen did not persist there.

There was a beautiful sunset hanging in the air, the colors fading from dark blue to red. It helped serve as a reminder of the time gap they'd been given to get out of the dungeon.

Pathos looked up and only saw a column of rock a good few feet in front of the platform, and it ended probably some thirty feet in the air.

"Panni, we've found a spot where we can see clearly, can you talk to us again?" Celestine asked.

"W-wait, I hear you really close! J-just a moment..."

Seconds passed, and all of a sudden a small, round head poked out over the edge. The Bayleef's face brightened. "Y-yes! Finally! Oh, thank Arceus. I thought I was going to have to wait here forever!" She stayed quiet for a few seconds. "U-um, last I checked there wasn't a way back down, but I can look again... Lemme just—"

When she turned around, she was too close to the edge, and one of her round feet slipped on the damp ground, causing her to lose balance. She couldn't save herself before she slipped off solid ground.

Panni let loose a short, ear-splitting scream that cut through the air as she plunged towards the ground, her body twisting about, limbs jerking and knotting in a pointless effort to slow her fall.

Celestine gasped and froze as Panni's body spun uncontrollably in the air. Pathos was stuck in place, a lump in his throat as he saw her fall.

It felt like forever that she spent in the air, flipping about. But there was nothing anyone could do, and in less than two seconds after beginning her fall, she hit the ground sideways, headfirst.

There was a _crack_ and a _thud_ , and then there was silence.

The Bayleef's now lifeless body bounced once or twice after smashing into the ground, bringing her closer to the team.

Nothing was said, nothing was heard, and there was nothing more than the motionless body of a Bayleef.

Both of their jaws were dropped at the sight. No looks were shared, no words were said.

 _T-this... did... did that really just...?_

Like a zombie, Celestine crept forward to Panni's corpse. She sat down, her head hung low. She put her paws on the Bayleef, and a glowing energy surrounded the body.

"Celestine..." Pathos said, approaching her.

"No, it's okay, I can do this..." she mumbled, sending a wave of energy through the Bayleef once more.

The Absol put a paw on her shoulder. "Celestine, it's not... she's..."

The Espeon whipped around. "She's what?! I told you, it's fine! Let me do this! It's fine..." Her face started to contort, and tears began to well in her eyes. "She's... just let me..."

She fell to the ground, bawling. "I just wanted the chance to do something _right_. Look where that got me! Right back where I started..."

"I..." Pathos was speechless, and useless as ever. He eyed the now lifeless Bayleef. Her limbs were bent in horrible ways, her neck getting the worst treatment. The sharp angle it had been forced into caused it to touch her shoulders, creating a sight that made it nearly impossible for him to look at without feeling sick. (There was also a bag that had landed on the ground right next to her—he hadn't seen her wearing it when she was up there.)

He looked back at Celestine, who was sobbing now. It pained him, watching her deal with so much pain. She worked this hard, and for what...?

The Absol sighed. "I just... What do you expect us to be able to do? We've nearly died like three times already. And now this. If those fuckers back at base think of this as a "training mission," then they can buzz off. All this does is just breed shit."

Again, silence. Light, muffled sobs came from Celestine, who had her head buried in her paws. A few minutes later, she lifted her head.

"Pathos..." she said in a particularly stern tone, tear trails prominent on her face. "The _sole_ reason we came here—the sole reason _I_ joined The Invictus—was just destroyed, right in front of our eyes! Our work, gone. Our effort, for nothing. We have _nothing_ now. We _are_ nothing now. Do you know why? _We killed her. We're_ the reason she's dead."

He was taken aback. Her solemn attitude and despondent expressions... It haunted him.

"Celestine, please, just, calm down... It's not our fault..."

"If not ours, then whose?! We gave her hope that blinded her, and that hope led to her death! That sounds a lot like _our_ fault to me!" she barked.

"C-Celestine, it's not like that... We did _not_ do this to her, and you know it."

"You don't need to deny the truth, Pathos, you _know_ it's true," she said, hanging her head.

"Celestine, please..." he said softly. "Look, if we don't get a move on soon, we might end up sucked into whatever happens when the dungeon resets." He placed a paw on her shoulder. "Alright? Let's just go."

"Just...?!" she pushed his paw off and turned around and stomped. "Pathos, I wanted to _help_ Panni out of here, not _destroy_ her."

She cleared her throat."Do you want to know a major factor in my motivation for wanting to help her?" She turned around. "Because I _know_ what it's like to be trapped here, in a dungeon. What it's like for all hope to be lost. She needed to be rescued, but look at where that got her. Her rescuers were nothing but incompetent failures."

"Celestine, listen to yourself! This isn't _you_. Look, I understand that this has broken you, but you need to realize that it's not as hopeless as you think..." he whined.

"Or is it? How would _you_ know what it's like to lose someone?!" she snapped, starling him.

She huffed after a few seconds. "You know what? Fine, _whatever_! I get it! Panni's dead, and she can't be brought back. Everything we did in coming here was all for nothing. We _failed_."

The Absol opened his mouth to speak, but he had nothing. He closed his eyes and dropped his head. He then opened his eyes and passed a glance at the Bayleef. It still hadn't settled in—he'd just watched someone plummet to their death. One second, they were filled with life, and the next, they were filled with nothing.

Celestine had just retrieved the bag from Panni's side after some moments of hesitation and slung it around her neck. She looked back at Pathos scornfully. "Come on, let's go. I guess that's really all we can do at this point..."

"U-um... yeah..." he responded, following her down a path.

The fog settled back in a few steps into the path, and it was once again just as gloomy as before. Breathing became hard again, and visibility was lower than before. The curving ground was damp, sometimes causing the team's steps to falter.

Where the two had conversed before, keeping each other company, there was now a silent gap between them.

The Absol was about to call out for Panni again, but he then remembered that she was no longer alive. Pathos felt guilt well up in his chest.

 _I said some rather insensitive things to her, but... am I wrong? She's selfless, but is she really willing to sacrifice so much? She's been acting a little strange, too... Is something other than Panni's death affecting her?_

He raised his head. The day had been horrible to him so far, he just hoped it wouldn't get any worse. _O_ _ne tragedy is enough..._ he mused.

After Panni's death, nothing even remotely important surfaced. It wasn't before long that they eventually stumbled upon the stairs with ease, and they wasted no time scaling them.

* * *

 **Tartarus Mountains**

It was an utter relief for the team to have finally gotten through the dungeon—or at least, they'd be more ecstatic about it had their client not fallen to their death.

The dungeon spit them out inside a cave. It was a rather small room, but it was more than enough for the two of them. A slim hallway led to the outside. Going from such an open area to such a cramped area did not feel well.

Celestine once again collapsed to the ground and began to cry.

This time, however, Pathos didn't intervene, and walked down to the end of the corridor to take a gander at their current location.

There, he found that the cave resided within a mountain, and quite high up, at that. In either direction, many more mountains could be seen, and there was a path to the right that swerved with the mountain terrain, and was at a slight decline. _A way down?_

He gazed into the sky. Thin clouds were scattered throughout it, and there was a full moon shedding light upon the land.

Out in front of him he could see an endless expanse of blue-shaded orange and brown—the desert. Not at all welcoming after seeing the grassland, and most certainly not after what happened in the dungeon.

Pathos leaned against the wall and closed his eyes dejectedly. _So this is reality, then? Our first fucking mission, something that should be_ easy _, and we almost die three times, then the person we even went to the dungeon for falls and breaks their neck._ The Absol looked over his shoulder at the ball of fur back in the cave. _And now she's completely destroyed by it..._

The turn of events had shaken him pretty badly, but he saw no reason that she should have been the way she was. Whatever the case was, though, he needed to help support her.

He slowly paced back into the cave and sat down a few feet away from his companion.

"...Celestine, I'm... I'm sorry for being so harsh back in the dungeon. But I just want you to understand that... now that I have you..." He paused, thinking. "I don't want to see you like this. It _hurts_ me. I feel like such a _failure_ sitting where watching you fall apart. And... I just... I care about you, Celestine." he said softly.

She sat silent for a bit, her sobs drawn out. "I just don't get why it has to be this way..."

"Life is tough, Celestine... It kicks you in the ass, picks you up, cares for you, and makes sure you're healthy. Then, it takes all that happiness and wellness away from you again," he said. "It's a cycle that doesn't let you off the hook..."

They sat there for a while, a horrible stillness in the air. Pathos wasn't sure what to do until Celestine rose, trembling.

"...Let's... Let's just go, okay? I just want to sleep at this point..." her voice hurt Pathos, its grittiness conveying her pain.

He drearily nodded. He led Celestine out of the cave, and once they were outside, he pulled up his badge, though not to check the time, rather, to check the compass. (It dawned on Pathos that he hadn't taken the time before to look at the compass, so he did just that.)

There were two pointers seated in the middle of a compass rose, one a red and black diamond-shaped needle, the other a one a needle with a loop on one end.

The diamond pointer's red side was pointing to Pathos' right, further down the mountain range, and the looped needle pointed off to the right in front of him, into the desert.

He glanced at the sketchy path to his right. _We just can't get enough of the dangerous stuff, can we?_

"W-well, Celestine, I guess we're going to have to walk down that. Do you want to wait a little bit longer so that we can maybe regain some energy?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. I've had enough of waiting." She stepped out in front, making her way down. "Let's go, Pathos."

The quietness of the night saw only the soft padding of their steps and light scraping from Pathos' claws.

The trail started off at a decent size, but it quickly shrunk until the duo could barely fit without pressing themselves against the wall. The jagged edges of the wall dug into them each time they bumped into the wall, but they carried on.

Pathos felt his stomach rumble, and groaned. Their only two food items had been used up in the dungeon, and that was Arceus knows how many hours ago. Was he this hungry before, and he just didn't notice it?

The Absol found the moon's moody lighting quite pleasant, and a great deviation from the norm. The blue-white hue was something else.

Team Reformity's trek down the trail saw no exchanges between Pathos and Celestine, giving them both time to think.

 _I was willing to give this whole thing a shot, but Arceus damn, I'm really starting to regret that. Someone's going to be getting a piece of my mind..._ Pathos thought as he scowled.

He looked out to the desert. This journey... it gave him a fresh outlook on his situation, but he was surprised to find himself still struggling to understand where his place was, or what he was looking for. What was he trying to accomplish?

He turned ahead. He wasn't sure, but at the very least, he would know soon enough.

"Celestine?" the Absol asked, hoping to pass the time with a conversation.

'Yeah...?" she responded solemnly.

"I... I just wanted to make sure you're alright. After, you know..."

She breathed heavily. "I honestly don't know, Pathos. Watching Panni fall to her death wasn't exactly fun..."

He sped up to get closer to her. "Well, I just want you to know that it's fine. I mean... not fine that she's dead, but..."

She distantly nodded. "Yeah, I get what you're saying. I just wish it didn't have to turn out to be this way."

He nodded. "I know..."

Over the next few hours of travel down the mountain side, silence ensued until they reached the bottom. The dry ground of the desert withered into loose dirt the closer to the mountains it got, gently sloping at first. Pathos took a quick glance behind him, and saw the majesty of the mountains extending up high in the air, looming over everything.

Pathos turned and checked his compass once more. The looped needle was still pointing off a little to the right, and the red and black one still directly to the right.

He glanced at Celestine, who had her head hung low, dragging a paw in the dirt.

"Well, I'd love to say we're halfway there, but... We've probably got a long ways to go. If we want to get any sleep tonight, let's hurry, alright?" Pathos announced.

She groaned, but obliged when Pathos began to trot in the direction the needle pointed.

They walked methodically, slightly swaying from exhaustion. They were both hungry and tired, and they both wanted to take a break.

Celestine's vibe was vastly different than what it normally was, and she felt unapproachable at the moment. No matter how hard he tried, Pathos couldn't seem to find a way to talk to Celestine, making the journey that much more intolerable.

 _I just have to think... is any of this my fault? I was kind of hard on her in the dungeon, and even now..._ Was _he_ the one that was blinded?

A cool breeze grazed them, and they shivered.

Pathos looked to the sky in thought. Perhaps he was shortsighted. It wasn't impossible, since he was most certainly not perfect. _But even then..._

He grit his teeth. They'd been sent on a suicide mission. The only ones to blame were the boneheads that had decided to mark missions like that for beginners.

After a few hours, Pathos wanted to drop. His legs burned, and he was craving for food and water. But he pushed on, for it was all he could do. It seemed Celestine had the same idea as him.

It wasn't but a few more hours after that Team Reformity could see some lights in the distance. Pathos quickly checked his compass—the needle was pointing directly at the lights.

The two of them let out sighs of relief. Not much longer and they'd be able to return back home from their treacherous journey.

The source of the lights was an out-of-place building that stood a few stories tall. It was a tanish-brown, and there were a few windows strewn about. A few of the same lamps that had been seen back at Fort Securitas were scattered about, illuminating the area nicely. A pair of large doors were embedded in the wall that faced them.

Pathos and Celestine gradually approached the building and carefully pushed the doors open.

The interior very closely resembled the teleportation room back at The Invictus, with a large platform in the middle, stairs leading up to it. To their right was another map like the one back home.

The two gradually walked up the stairs, and were greeted by a Kirlia and a Meowstic, who halted a conversation when they noticed Team Reformity.

"My, you two come at a late hour—just getting back from a mission?" the Kirlia asked.

Pathos was about to question how the Kirlia knew, but figured the scarves gave it away. He nodded. "Yeah. We're completely beat, so... do you mind if we make this as quick as possible?"

The Meowstic smiled. "Ah, eager to go, then? Alright, come on over to the middle of the platform and we'll get set up."

The two Psychic-types took them to the middle of the platform, and positioned them on marked places on the ground.

"So, I assume you two are wanting to be teleported to The Invictus, correct?" the Meowstic inquired.

Celestine nodded. "Yeah."

"Alright. We won't need to run you over everything, since you've already done this, so just make sure to ignore any adverse effects, and stay still while we send you," the Kirlia said.

The two Psychic-types were irradiated by a teal light which soon spread to Pathos and Celestine, and all the same, terrible sensations overcame them as before.

* * *

 **The Invictus**

The duo landed clumsily on the platform in the teleportation room, dizziness still in their systems.

The Beheeyem helped them to their feet. Pathos stretched and about fell down, and Celestine yawned. The Beheeyem brought them down the stairs where Edur greeted them.

"Wow, what timing! I only just got here a few minutes ago." He sighed. "You guys were gone a little longer than three days, so I was a little worried. How did it go?" He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Actually... where _is_ your client?"

Celestine snapped and shouted, "How'd it go?! About as well as it _could_ have gone when your client _falls to their death_! So your answer is this: not at all. We _failed!_ "

She sighed, and sat down, covering her face with her paws. "...I-I'm sorry... It's just..." She heaved. "Pathos, I'll meet you back in the room..." she said, and she got up and left quietly, leaving behind a somber wake.

Edur twiddled his fingers. "I... I'm sorry for being so insensitive. It's just that—"

"Yes, I get it." Pathos interrupted, "'First missions don't usually go so badly,' right?" He shook his head. "You sent us on a fucking suicide mission. We almost lost our lives three times—hell I got _thrown off a cliff_ —yet you expect us to be in good condition?! Celestine broke down _twice_ because of that. Like _hell_ that's a 'training mission'.

"When I joined, I didn't expect to be sent to waste away my life on something as insignificant as that. We spent all that time there, and yet it was all for nothing," Pathos said, and he poked a claw into the Snover's chest.

He cleared his throat. "Make sure you tell whoever it is you report to that I'm not willing to put my life on the line like that for a first mission, and not even a second. You have standards, yeah, but when those standards require that you give up your life along the way, I don't think they're very good."

Pathos backed up and straightened up. "I'm going back. I'm too fucking tired to want to banter."

The Absol turned and left the room, leaving Edur speechless. Pathos didn't care enough to wait and hear what he had to say (as if he wanted to in the first place).

The Dark-type stormed through the corridors, not even looking where he was going a grim expression glued to his face.

He looked down, and thought, _Arceus, what a mess... Celestine's been crushed, and we failed our first mission—it wasn't even a real mission! How pathetic..._

Pathos entered the large, central room. Dim moonlight shone down through the ceiling once more. He made his way up the stairs and down the hall that led to the team room.

It wasn't long until the Absol reached the end of the hall. Before entering, he hesitated for a moment, thinking about the day.

Quietly he nudged the door open, and trudged inside. The team bag was set against one of the posts in the middle of the room, and Pathos set down the bag he was carrying next to it.

He sighed and trotted over to the door to Celestine's room and was about to push it open when he stopped himself. He wasn't able to make her feel any better earlier, so how could he help now?

He made an about face and walked over to the door to his room and pushed it open.

He leapt onto the bed, and lay down. He looked at the flame in the wall, its trails dancing about, causing the light it gave off to pulsate.

 _Celestine still hasn't gotten over Panni's death. Has she really taken it that personally?_ Pathos rolled so that he was on his back. _But what about me? Can I not get over it either? The whole experience... it's engrained in the back of my eyes, and I can't get it out._

 _It's just... Something doesn't feel right. But what is it? Why do I feel such a powerful sense of dread?_

The Absol lightly clawed his face, and let out a defeated breath. "Whatever..." he mumbled.

He rolled again so that the light shone on his back. He tried to close his eyes to help initiate his descent into sleep, but it had no effect. It was going to be a _long_ night.

* * *

 **End of Chapter VII**


	10. Chapter 8: Petrichor

**Chapter VIII - Petrichor**

* * *

Celestine gasped as she jolted awake in a cold sweat. Her chest held a tightness that restricted her breathing, and she was left shaky. She glanced around herself, only to find that she was still within her room.

Calming her breaths, Celestine looked around. _A... a nightmare? I guess so..._

She shifted her focus to the vacant hole in the ceiling. _Still dark... what time is it?_

Celestine let her body go limp as she fell back to the bed, and she let out a sigh.

 _Arceus... I'm so tired..._ She rubbed her eyes. _That nightmare was... reminds me of... Panni..._

The Espeon clenched her teeth as her eyes began to water. _Why... we were_ right _there, and we still failed..._

Celestine was seething, and she slammed a paw into the bed as hard as she could, not wincing at the slight pain it caused.

"I tried... _so_ hard... and yet..." face-down, she clenched her paws tightly. _What's it matter? Why do I work so hard when I know the end result will be the same...?_

Soon Celestine's mood had shifted from overwhelmingly angry, to helplessly sad.

She tried her best to hold back sobs, but her efforts lasted no more than a few seconds. An empty-hearted "Why?" was all she could utter before breaking into tears, and it wasn't long until she cried the night away...

* * *

When Pathos woke up, he found himself in a rather uncomfortable position, and he was surprised he managed to sleep well.

He got up and stretched, only to plop back down onto the cushiony bed, giving a heartless sigh.

 _What a day yesterday was... It was terrible, but we somehow made it through. I just hope Celestine is doing better now..._

The Absol lay in bed awhile, staring at the bright hole in the ceiling. He got up, this time leaping off the bed and stretching before exiting the room.

In the hub, it was quiet, and there was no sight of Celestine. He figured she was still asleep, and made his way over to the door leading to her room.

Pathos paused when he arrived. Wouldn't it be rude for him to barge in and wake her up?

He bit his lip, but slowly pushed the door open, bracing for what could happen next.

Except nothing did.

Pathos, confused, carefully slid out of the doorway and into the room. He looked around, but found no sign of his partner. _She... already left? Did she perhaps forget about me?_

No, he figured, she didn't. But if she didn't forget about him, then what would her reasoning be for leaving him behind...?

 _Could it be that she... abandoned me here? That she just up and left The Invictus?_ He lingered on the thought for a moment before shaking his head, realizing how stupid the idea sounded. _No, I don't think she would have done that. The events that happened during our mission were devastating, but there's no way they've affected her like that. And besides,_ w _hy she left doesn't matter right now. What matters is where she went._

The Absol left the bedroom, and went to where he left the bag last night. The team bag was already gone, confirming Celestine's departure.

Disregarding the bag's empty status, Pathos picked up the bag, slung it around his neck, and shoved open the doors leading into the hallway.

The light tubes illuminated the halls with a blissful glow, the light semi-brightly reflecting off the Absol's stained fur.

Pathos squinted when he emerged out of the hall and into the hub room. There weren't nearly as many Pokémon about as there were before they left on their mission, but it was still packed.

The Absol sucked in a heavy breath, and climbed down the steps to the main floor. He paid no attention to the stores and groups of Pokémon that surrounded him, though the idea of stopping to listen to the flowing water crossed his mind.

He deftly wiggled through crowds towards the mess hall. Pathos had thought that Celestine would have headed there first in the morning—that's what he'd have done.

But after he entered and looked around, she wasn't immediately spotted. He wandered around and searched for her, but his efforts yielded naught. He considered stopping to eat, but he decided his search for Celestine was a higher priority.

Having cleared the possibility of his partner being in the mess hall, he made way for the mission room, figuring her eagerness to work, coupled with the prior day's events, may have brought her there. When he arrived, there was a group of Pokémon in the room, bearing a variety of unusual Pokémon. Some were chatting, some were minding their own business, and lots of others were taking in all the different mission options they had to choose from. But after a few minutes of searching, not a single one turned out to be Celestine.

Getting frustrated, Pathos made an about-face and aimed for the exit. If she was not at either of the two places she was most likely to be, surely he'd find her outside in Fort Securitas. If anything, it allowed him the chance to finally explore his setting—as well as moving around and taking his time, without the worries of a job.

Pathos weaved through crowds and galloped through corridors until he reached the staircase leading to the entrance lobby. He climbed them and exited into the lobby. Iris didn't seem to be present, and there was a line of people patiently waiting for her to get back.

The Absol curved around the line and pushed open the massive doors leading outside. He was nearly blinded by the great rays of sunlight that rained upon his eyes from above.

Squinting, Pathos gazed out upon his surroundings. The last time he'd been in Fort Securitas, it was nearly pitch-black, his path only being brightened by lamps scattered pathetically about, leaving him unable to make out any details. Now, with all this light, he could see many of the town's features. There were tons of narrow streets, the buildings on either side stacked high, some taller or shorter than others. Said buildings were actually carved out of the ground, rather than built, which surprised Pathos.

Out in the streets, tons of Pokémon were up and about. Plenty of noise was being generated by the residents of the city, quite the contrast to the last time Pathos was out here. He hled a vantage point that allowed him to absorb the actual size of the city. Closer to his position, buildings and streets seemed more exotic and well-designed, while those farther out presented themselves less so.

Not wanting to let himself get distracted by the breathtaking sights of the city, the Absol trotted down the stairs, and walked down the street in front of him with no idea where he should go next.

 _In a city this large, there must be so many things to do, so many places to look for Celestine... Where do I even start?!_

Pathos absentmindedly sauntered through the various roads until he came upon a wide junction that harbored multiple paths and a few stores like the ones back in The Invictus, though less showy and interesting.

One of the paths caught Pathos' attention due to the fact that it led away from the heart of the city, and at its end, there was a large, jagged wall with a corridor dug through it. Despite the temptation to explore more of the city, something about the mysterious path egged him on until he reluctantly chose to take the path.

Down the path he walked, buildings becoming scarcer the further he went, and the wall appearing to grow larger the closer he got. It was also made apparent that the corridor that had been cut through the rock was far larger than he imagined.

He ignored it at first, but the more he walked, Pathos realized a fresh, enlightening smell overtook his nose, much like the smell that hung in the air the first time he walked into The Invictus' hub room. _Wait, then that means..._ The Absol staggered as he sped up his pace, eager to find out what lay on the other side of the wall.

When he entered the corridor, he found it was lit up with the same kind of magical fires that were used throughout the city. The crisp scent was vented through the tunnel, making the smell particularly strong within.

Pathos breathed in through his nose, letting the blissful smell control him as he emerged at the end of the tunnel, his eyes overwhelmed with a breathtaking sight. Pathos stood aloft a platform that overlooked a massive, gorgeous, oblong lake that reflected the light that shined from above. It was surrounded by a rocky shoreline that receded to a more level design the further from the edge of the lake he looked. Lamps were placed not far from the edge of the lake, all the way around. There were other points of interest at various points around the lake, but it seemed that the biggest of them all was on the far side of the huge body of water, where there was a wide variety of small shacks and stands, all enveloped in a thick sea of Pokémon.

He knew of the lake from Edur, but the sheer size and splendor was far more than he expected, its beauty nearly outshining that of the spot up on the mountain that overlooked the massive prairie.

Pathos stared in awe as various Pokémon brushed past him. _So this... This is Lake Dorothea? It's no wonder Fort Securitas is so large! This is probably the single largest body of water in the whole desert, so it's only natural people would live here._

Making a mental note to stop and take in the lake's grandeur after finding Celestine, he shifted focus to the stairs to his right that gave way to the ground below, and walked down them, further capturing the grand scope of the whole scene.

Pathos looked around once more, and noticed that this half of Fort Securitas seemed to be far more natural, at least the cavern part of it did. The wide dome roof and the rutted walls were more intricate and fascinating than those surrounding the city part. Stalactites protruded down sparsely, too. Embedded in the roof were many holes that gave way to light, the rays spreading enough to sufficiently light the whole cavern, their trails sometimes being outlined by clouds of dust.

The Absol began to walk around the lake. Despite his hardest efforts, he could not remove his gaze from the lake, and he even found himself inching ever closer. The scent it gave off was enticing, but he resisted the urge to stop and stare.

As Pathos closed the distance between him and the mass of Pokémon, he had to take a moment to comprehend the sudden realization of how hard it would be for him to find his teammate within the dense blanket of people, _if_ she was to be found here. He bit his lip, mulling over any options that would be far easier than simply squeezing through and hoping to find Celestine.

One possibility was him going around to various shopkeepers and passersby, asking if they'd seen the Espeon anywhere. Another option was to simply retreat back to the team base and wait for her to return. Yet another would be discarding the possibility that Celestine had found herself in this mess, walking back to the city, and looking around there.

And yet, the Dark-type couldn't help but choose to shove his way through the swarm in desperate pursuit. Pathos vehemently sucked in a breath, and stepped forward, determined to find his partner.

The diversity of the Pokémon in the conglomeration was staggering. Nearly each one Pathos passed by was a different species than the last. Different colors, dialects, sizes, and shapes; he was beginning to regret this decision. He was constantly being pushed into other people, and he was deafened by all the sounds that combined together into dissatisfying reverberations.

The Absol winced, but pressed forward. _I have to be thorough_ , he thought, honing his sights. A simple discouragement didn't need to be the end of his search.

Pathos had soon lost his track of time after a few minutes, still with no sight of Celestine. Getting banged around was starting to take its toll, and he was fairly sure his ears would be ringing should he go somewhere quiet.

He shouldered his way past someone into a clearing, and the Absol sat and lifted his head, sighing. He found himself in what appeared to be a plaza of sorts. He didn't take the time to notice much more, for the only thing in his mind was getting away from all those Pokémon and letting his ears catch a break after withstanding so much noise.

 _I've only been sifting through here for a few minutes or so, and I'm already having to stop to breathe. Maybe it's just the close proximity to all these people, but perhaps it still would have been better to wait back at the base..._

Pathos clenched his teeth, and rose from the ground. He stretched, and then looked around, deciding on what to do next, when he spotted something. Glancing to his right, he could see that there was a lavender blur looking for a way through the crowd. He shrugged it off at first, figuring due to the sheer amount of Pokémon there, that there was a good chance of there being other Pokémon of the same color as Celestine. But then he noticed a golden smear painted on the pink creature's neck, as well as a small bag hanging from their neck.

Pathos was fully convinced—it was Celestine! He half-chuckled and sighed as he walked on over, relieved to have found her. Trying to catch her attention, he shouted "Hey, Celestine!"

Celestine jumped at the mention of her name, spinning to be greeted by Pathos. "Oh, hey..." she said dejectedly, turning her head. Her solemn expression did all the more to catch Pathos' concern.

Pathos slightly frowned in response. "I... when I woke up, I noticed you were gone, so I decided to come look for you. I would've waited for you, but... I just wanted to make sure things were okay. Thank Arceus I managed to find you when I did. I was about to give up on looking for you here. Where have you been?"

The Espeon bit her lip. "W-well, I woke up rather early today, and I couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to just go around and... wander. I would've liked to buy something at one of the stores, but... well, you know."

"Yeah," the Absol said, turning to look at the lake, only to remember he was in the middle of a large group of Pokémon, hindering his view of the lake. He looked back at his partner. "I couldn't help but stare at the lake on my way over here. It's so mystical to see something like a _lake_ in the desert. I mean, we're underground and all, but still!"

"It really is wonderful, isn't it...?" Celestine uttered, clutching her bag and looking down, a heavy sigh escaping her.

"Celestine... is everything alright...?" Pathos asked, getting closer and putting a paw on her back.

She nodded, not making eye contact with the Absol, her expression turning gray. "Well... yeah, I'm fine, just a little... troubled."

Keeping his paw on her back, Pathos tried looking her in the eye. "Hey, what's wrong? I haven't known you for the longest time, but I can at least tell when something's bothering you. Because, to me, you look a little more than troubled."

The Espeon shrugged his paw off, and she gave him the cold shoulder. "Look, it's fine. I'm sorry if I'm worrying you, but I'll be okay."

She began to walk off, but after she got about four steps away, Pathos spoke up. "Celestine, I... I trust your word, but... just let me know if there's anything I can do to help, alright?"

"I already told you, it's fine, okay? Let's just go back to the base and get ourselves a mission... while there's still time..."

With a heavy sigh, Pathos said, "Celestine, you can't do this to yourself. You _know_ you had nothing to do with Panni's death. We did the best we could." Pathos walked over to her and gave a sympathetic nod. "Celestine, with how our first mission went, I don't want you to go out when you're like this. Why don't we just take the day off and—"

"And let down yet another person?! No! I _refuse_ to let that happen again! We are _not_ sitting this one out Pathos, I'm not going to let that happen!"

Pathos stepped back, as if the Espeon's anger was radiating like heat from a fire. "I know... I'm not suggesting we let that happen. But there's plenty of people who can help rescue other than us. We don't have to be up and about at all times, especially not when we're like... this.

"I don't want you to push yourself right now, Celestine. It hurt to see you broken after what happened, and I can't stand to see it happen again."

Celestine looked back and hissed. "Look, it's not going to _stop_ hurting until we get out there, and, you know, _actually_ rescue someone instead of letting them die! You want to help me forget about it? Good, then let's go, and actually do something right for once."

Pathos stomped, kicking dust into the air. "Celestine, it's _going_ to happen again, unless you take a rest and clear your mind! You can't just pretend you're up to the task—"

" _Not up to the task?!_ I don't seem to remember _you_ being able to do anything about it either! So what are you saying, then? You just want to quit this whole thing? You want to give up just because we failed?"

"That's not what I'm saying at all!" Pathos retorted. "I'm saying that you're not thinking straight. You're not going to perform well if you head out the way you are, further ruining what could already go bad!"

"As if you know _anything_ about me!" Celestine responded in a shout. "I said I'm _fine_ , you should simply take it and leave it there! Just... why can't you listen to me and forget about it?"

"Because you're the only friend I've ever had, so I'll be _damned_ if I don't make sure you're alright. We nearly died four times in the dungeon, yet you seemed to pay no attention to the danger! I'm trying to protect you, not harm you! What's so hard to understand about that?"

Pathos huffed guiltily as he cleared his throat. "Celestine... I don't want you to do anything irrational, just because of some desire you have to save people. I owe you for what you've done for me. I'm not against saving people at all. As a matter of fact, I'm here, trying to save _you_."

The Espeon clenched her teeth and said, "What's my life matter in comparison to that of tens of hundreds of others? Pathos, I can't stand by as people suffer every day, it makes me sick doing so! Is that what you want? For me to sit back and be tortured as I watch countless people fall to this world?"

"Celestine, you need to stop this, please...! I don't want you mad at me! I'm just doing what's best for you!"

" _Best_ for me?!" Celestine shouted, stomping over and poking a claw into Pathos' chest, causing him to stagger. "So you really think you have my best interests in mind? You know, when you accepted my invitation to the team, I thought you'd be a help. I thought you'd be reliable. But now, I'm not so sure. Because you're here, preventing me from achieving everything I _joined_ The Invictus for!"

The Psychic-type got into a stance, and her eyes brightened to an ethereal cyan, the same color dimly outlining Celestine's body. Before Pathos even had the time to comprehend what she was doing, he felt something heavy collide with the left side of his head, knocking him to the ground, his vision leaving him for a moment.

Groggily, the Absol slowly rose, trying to rub the side of his head, a headache emerging from the depths of his mind. He heard gasps and yelling all around him, but he couldn't focus. He then glanced to his left, where a small wooden chair clattered when it hit the ground. Looking back at his partner, Pathos said, "Celestine, what are you...?"

A light sob escaped Celestine's mouth, her face contorted in anger. "I _trusted_ you, Pathos! I cared for you, even brought you here! What happened to repaying me for what I've done? Did you just throw that out the window, like you have everything else?!"

The Espeon's sudden comment took him by surprise. He hadn't expected something so hurtful to come from her, he almost didn't want to believe what she said.

A quivering Pathos steadied himself and stepped closer to the Psychic-type. "Celestine, you... You don't—"

"Oh, what is it now? Are you going to come up with another _bullshit_ reason?" She bared her teeth. "I've spent day in, day out, trying to be of help to someone, _anyone!_ Now I'm here, one step closer to achieving my goal." She straightened her posture. "I helped _you_ in that damn desert, but you don't even seem thankful for it! Maybe you _are_ just another stepping stone!"

That one hurt him. He felt the hostility in her words, and it hurt him and his pride. There was just no way she could mean them, surely?

"Celestine, you're out of your mind! You don't mean any of that! I—" Pathos stammered, at a loss for words. What should he do? How on earth could he calm her down? He'd never seen her angry, let alone furious!

Celestine's fur bristled. "Look, I'm done with you! I gave you your chance, and you _blew it!_ Get out of my sight before I make you wish you were!"

But Pathos held his ground, determined to bring the Espeon to her senses. "Celestine, I _beg_ you, just _listen to me!_ Please, just let's go ba—"

Once again Pathos was slammed with the wooden chair, a sharp edge digging into his head. The sudden blow disrupted his balance, and he could feel himself becoming wobbly.

The chair fell to the ground again, and Pathos failed to notice the steadily growing patch of red fur on his head. "Celestine, please..."

The Espeon bit the corner of her lip and raised her head. With a force and tone Pathos never knew she was capable of, Celestine said, "I should have just left you to die."

The Absol's words were caught in his throat. He was astonished that she would have said such a thing. He refused to believe it was true, but his shock prevented him from saying anything. _She... Why?_

The throbbing pain in Pathos' head drove him to the ground, where he craned his neck to watch as his teammate turned and glanced back at him with a disheartened stare. Not more than a second later, she walked off, shoving herself through the sea of Pokémon, disappearing from his sight, slowly but surely.

Pathos was only now realizing what had just happened. He grabbed the side of his head with his paw, feeling the moist fur. _What have I done..._

* * *

"There we are. That should help stunt the bleeding. It was a minor cut, but it's a good thing you came here."

Pathos heartlessly sighed, feeling the bandage wrapped around his head. It was made of a soft cloth, but its presence was irritating.

After his fight with Celestine, Pathos sought the help of a passerby to make it here, a clinic of sorts within The Invictus. He had troubles navigating his way through the corridors, having to constantly focus on the cut on his head. Apparently he'd passed out once he arrived, and when he woke up, he found himself perched upon a bed. The room was quite large, and had a wide variety of supplies, like herbs, some boxes in a corner, as well as a collection of medical utensils. There were at least ten other beds around the room as well.

A large, grey and white metallic being carefully stepped away from the Absol, admiring their work. "Well, that should do it for anything physical. I can't do much more for your headache besides giving you some herbs, and maybe some berry juice," the Aggron said in a soft but firm voice.

He waved her off. "It's okay, Maea. This'll do just fine. It's not like I'm going on any missions soon. I can just rest up and I should be okay"

She nodded. "Alright, then. May I help you down, Pathos?" she said, tiptoeing closer.

Pathos nodded, unsteadily getting to his feet, Maea's clawed hands hovering just above and below him, in case he fell. The Absol tensed up, and half-jumped off the bed, grunting as he contacted with the ground.

"If I may ask," the Aggron said, bending down to make it easier for Pathos to see her, "how did you find yourself in this condition? You never did tell me what happened."

The Dark-type looked away abashedly. "It's... rather personal. A _stupid_ mistake on my part. I'm still in disbelief..."

Maea stayed quiet for a bit, seeming to take the information in. "Ah, okay. I apologize for asking... How do you feel?"

Pathos wasn't sure he felt anything. He was still shocked at Celestine's last words to him. _There's no way she would have said such a thing, but the tone in her voice..._

Just when he thought his guilt trip was over, it all came crashing down on him. His heart sank, and his argument with the Espeon replayed over and over in his head.

The Aggron gently knelt down, placing a hand on Pathos' back. "You don't seem to be doing that well. Why don't you head back to your place and get some rest? I'm sure you need it."

The Absol barely nodded, but he hesitated to start heading back. What would become of him now? How could he ever face Celestine again, knowing full well that he had truly gone too far?

He couldn't stand to think about what had happened. It came as too big of a surprise, he had no way of reacting to the results.

Pathos quietly set off, leaving through a rocky doorway on the other side of the room. He exited out into the corridor not far from the mission room. He was surprised to notice that there was barely any light shimmering through the holes above him. Had he really spent that much time in the clinic?

He stopped, his head pulsating again. When it stopped, he resumed his solemn gait. What had started as a simple search ended up avalanching into an absolute mess.

 _Arceus damnit, look at me... what on earth was I thinking...? Why did I think it was okay to say those things?_

Pathos sighed. It was done, and there was nothing he could do about it—or was there? The Absol realized there was a chance that Celestine had returned back to their base.

This resolution put an extra kick into his step, and he jogged his way back, praying that his teammate had simply went back there. Pathos completely brushed off everything around him. He only wanted to return to the team base and have Celestine greet him there.

When he reached the door to the base, he paused, a sliver of doubt flashing in front of him, but he held his head high, and pushed open the door.

Where he expected to be approached by the Espeon he had grown to know, there was nobody.

His unfounded faith finally catching up to him, Pathos looked around, with no sign of his companion.

The Absol slumped to his side, coming face to face with the truth. Celestine was gone.

He clenched his teeth, angry at himself for letting this happen. He'd let his own emotions overtake him during their argument. He was blind.

 _So now this is reality. What do I do? The team leader's gone, hell, this isn't even a team anymore..._ Pathos wanted so badly to clutch his head, kicking and screaming. But he suppressed those feelings.

 _No, I can't handle this right now. Maybe I should just go outside... to relax..._

Pathos ignored Maea's suggestion and turned a cold shoulder to the room, and started to walk. To where, he did not know. At this point, all he desired was to forget about what had happened. He couldn't believe it. His one and only friend, now exiled from his life.

His headache was still nagging at him, but it paled in comparison to what else he was currently feeling. His head bandage no longer bothered him, either. Right now, it were as if he was a shell of his former self.

The many doors and Pokémon he walked past were blurs in his peripheral vision. He didn't have anything on his mind, just where he was going.

 _After everything she did for me, and I still..._ The Absol sniffed. _Celestine was right. She should have left me for dead. That would have been an act of pity on her part._

Pathos wasn't sure what he felt. Fear? Sadness? Guilt? Anger? It was all there, and it all wasn't. It disoriented him.

It wasn't for twenty (Or was it thirty? Pathos didn't try and keep track of time) minutes that Pathos emerged at the top of the steps to the lobby. The line of Pokémon that was there earlier was now gone, and Iris was still nowhere to be seen.

He pushed open the doors, and stared out upon the dimly lit city in front of him. He shrugged and continued his stride.

Through the cobblestone streets and alleys he sauntered, unsure where to go. The lake was a no-go, so the only way left was up. At the very least, he could admire the city's beauty from afar, as if it would help.

He took his time walking through the city, sometimes stopping to look at signs or stare at the lamps. When he found the pathway that led back up to the lookout point, he wasted no time getting over to it. The dim, amber-colored lamps brought back nostalgic memories of the first time he saw Fort Securitas. _Memories of her..._

Pathos peered through the dark at the city and the large pillar. The one other time he was up here, he had finally gained a hope. A hope that he could find purpose. A hope that had just been snuffed out.

Pathos still did not wish to return to the team base (he couldn't help calling it that), and so he made an about-face, and marched up the stairs. He wasn't sure why he wanted to go out and look at the inside of the fortress walls, but he didn't mind.

When the Absol reached the top of the stairs, he heard a light pitter-patter resounding from past the doors. Curious, he pushed open the doors, and was taken aback.

Outside, for the first time in his life, it was raining. The sky, from end to end, painted with grey rainclouds unleashing their aqueous payload. An almost deafening amount of sound raided his senses, and he didn't know what to do. His fur quickly became sopping wet, as did his bandage, but he didn't even care. It was rain, something unheard of in the desert.

He should have been happy, grateful, even, for the storm. But he wasn't. The gloominess did nothing but remind him of his fight with Celestine, at the lakeside.

He couldn't help it; he fell to the ground and began sobbing. Everything had finally caught up with him. The pain hit him all at once. It hurt, because he finally understood what losing Celestine meant. It meant losing the most important thing in the world. She was all he had since he woke up in Vadimas' tent. He had nothing other than her, and now she was gone. And it was all his fault.

The grave realization made him cry. He cried, and cried, and cried. Because he didn't just ruin a friendship. He lost the only thing in the world he cared about.

* * *

 **End of Chapter VIII**


	11. Chapter 9: Asunder

**Chapter IX - Asunder**

* * *

A cascade of splashes and a roaring shower—that's what was going on around Pathos. The rain seeped through his fur, its chill making him shiver. He wasn't sure how long he'd been out here, though he imagined it was far more than an hour, because before he knew it, the sun had completely set, leaving the area doused in not only rain, but also darkness.

But Pathos was blank. He wasn't sure what to feel anymore. His breakdown had left him torn and lifeless. His senses had been rendered kaput, and he didn't know where to begin. _I should head back, but... where do I go? What do I do, now that she's gone? How will I do missions? ...Can I even_ do _missions?_

Pathos squinted as he looked to the dark sky. The rain... he certainly enjoyed it, but something just felt off. Perhaps he was just far too used to the dryness of the air and ground, and the sudden introduction of moisture unsettled him. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how the wetness bothered him. His matted fur was uncomfortable, and the trickles of water made him shiver.

The Absol heaved, getting to his feet. He was tired, and sleeping in the rain didn't quite appeal to him, if only for the sudden arrival of the brisk nighttime air, on top of being drenched.

He started to make his way towards the doors, but hesitated a few steps away. _Will I still be using the team base? It... doesn't make much sense to, but where else can I go?_ If only just for tonight, he would sleep there, he decided. What he would do after that was unknown.

Pathos passed one last glance at the outside world, admiring the contrast, before nudging open the doors and shutting out the rain.

The lighting in the staircase was brighter than he recalled it being, though it was likely he was readjusting to the light after being outside. It was hard to believe that it had only been a few days since he walked that same path with Celestine.

A sense of gloom towered over him. _I just can't seem to distract myself from... Why do I have to be so affected by it...?_ Pathos stopped to look down, unsure of what's what. Ultimately, he sighed, and resumed walking once more.

Pathos knew he was sad—there was no denying that. He was drained, and his head still hurt (he just now remembered the bandage—which had fallen off from being soaked), and the sight of Celestine slowly melding with the crowd was burned into his retinas. Yet he didn't _feel_ sad.

The Absol's footsteps echoed softly, and as he rounded the corner into the cavern, he stopped to peer out over the city and its indecipherable surroundings; the lackluster lighting, the vast stretch of cavern to the left and right, the large pillar jutting from the middle of the city.

He turned away stubbornly, wearing a scowl. _Why am I still having doubts? I just need to get some rest, no need to waste time..._

He trudged down the curved slope, his eyes back and forth between adjusting to the light and adjusting to the dark. Pathos sighed. Had the path always been this long? He didn't recall it feeling so sluggish on his way up earlier. The sogginess of his fur was annoying him, but he couldn't do much about it. Hopefully it would dry out by tomorrow.

Fort Securitas was hushed, almost no noise being given off by anything other than Pathos. There was a mellow crackling originating from the lamps, complementing their moody lighting.

An odd feeling within Pathos caught his attention. He wanted to go check out the lake once again. Perhaps it would help him cope with his separation from Celestine, or maybe it would be a soothing experience, the lungfuls of that alluring scent still carved in his mind.

His resolution wasn't put to action immediately—he instead lagged behind, thinking. Was there anything he should do instead? The Absol growled at himself for getting off track again. He put his foot down, and shut out any distractions, making it to the platform overlooking the lake in about twenty minutes.

A gentle barrage of light oozed from above, the water sparkling in response, a faint turquoise accompanying them. Pathos sighed, still taken aback. It was a sight he would have preferred be enjoyed with Celestine.

The Absol tiptoed down the stairs, huffing when he reached the bottom. The flattened ground provided little to look at, directing his attention towards the lake, as if he hadn't come to do just that. Pathos sat down at the edge of the lake, the majestic blue-green irradiating from an unseen source down below. It was a great thought, the mystery of the light's origin.

Pathos heard a soft, melodic hum from the left. He paid no heed at first, but continued to listen more and more. Pathos turned his attention to his left, and there, further down the shoreline, the Absol saw someone. His interest piqued, Pathos stood up and walked over to investigate.

A small, dog-like creature was perched on a small stool, waving a thin brush back and forth on a dyed canvas propped on a makeshift stand. There was a bag on the ground to the left of the stand, and a small, unlit torch to the right. The canvas was home to masses of swirling, eye-catching colors, dominated by a mostly azure landscape. Each and every color that the Smeargle sketched on the canvas blended perfectly, bringing to life the mood of the image. There appeared to be waves, but Pathos couldn't be sure. Small sparks of yellow and orange dotted the painting, and small streaks of green brought a handsome vibe to the fascinating blue.

"Do you like it?" the Smeargle asked unflinchingly, startling Pathos. How the artist had known Pathos was there despite not having turned baffled him. "I'm not too sure how I feel about this one. Perhaps a little too dreary..."

"W-well, I like it. It's certainly... something," Pathos said, admiring the artwork. "It's hard to describe, really."

The Smeargle stopped painting as he chuckled. "I suppose it would be, wouldn't it?" He continued his brushstrokes. "Well, at least you like it! That's enough for me to keep going."

Silence was drawn between the two, and Pathos inched closer to get a better look at the painting, and was surprised to find the Smeargle making every of his brushstrokes with his eyes closed—yet each stroke continued to provide more and more to the development of the artwork.

"You... you're painting with your eyes closed... isn't that going to do more harm than good?" Pathos asked.

The Smeargle lifted his head, paused, and tapped his brush on his palette, gently setting them on the ground with his careful tail. He took a breath before slipping off his seat and striding over to the Absol, his eyes still closed. "Well... I suppose that... even with two eyes, you can only really see _half_ of the picture."

The Smeargle brought a paw to Pathos' backside, about to say something, but he nearly reeled at the sudden dampness of the Absol's fur. "Arceus...! Why is your fur so wet? You can't just be walking around like this!"

"Uh..." the Dark-type stammered, stunned. "It's... it's not that big of a deal, you know..."

The Smeargle crept towards his painting setup, and retorted, "Don't be so modest. You're probably freezing, and the wetness is most certainly causing you a great deal of discomfort. If that were me, I would find a way to dry myself off as soon as possible." He collapsed all of his supplies, and began placing items in his bag, barring the painting, his paintbrush and his palette. "Would you follow me, please? I'll help you take care of that problem of yours."

As the Smeargle walked past Pathos, he reflected on that. The Absol lacked any incentive to deny the painter's help, and he had more than enough time to spare, but part of him didn't feel like it was okay to suddenly accept such an offer. But again, he didn't have any reason to object.

The Absol discovered no point in staying now, and followed the Smeargle, to wherever it was he was going. _Well, I guess this screws up my plans. But it can't be all that bad, surely...?_

Pathos followed the Smeargle back into the city, down the road, and through an alley until they reached a small building secluded from the other buildings. It was shaggy, small holes in the wooden parts and chips and cracks in the stone parts, but it had a very niche feeling for Pathos. The Smeargle budged open the front door, motioning for the Absol to follow him in. Inside, there was a distinct lack of lighting, but that was promptly fixed by the Smeargle. He flicked his fingers upward, an energetic snake of fire briefly streaming towards the ceiling, setting alight a few lanterns hanging from above.

"Pardon me as I get you a towel," the Smeargle said, dragging his supplies into some unseen backroom, giving Pathos time to take in his surroundings. (Pathos noted the Smeargle's eyes were now open.)

There wasn't much to the room—a small table with an equally small chair sat against one wall, and a simplistic end table was situated in the far corner. There were two windows: one a few feet to the left of the door, and another on the wall to Pathos' left. The open doorway the Smeargle disappeared through was placed on a small inset in the left wall, an identical open doorway on the wall opposite.

A few minutes went by, and the Smeargle returned, a fluffy white towel in hand. He walked to the Absol's side and draped it over his back. "There. It's not great, but it will certainly help dry you up. But I must ask—what did you do to get your fur so wet?"

Pathos looked away. "Well... some shit happened, and I... I decided to take a trip outside, possibly to catch some breath, I'm not really sure. But when I opened the door, I came face to face with a stunning sight— _it was raining._ "

Pathos expected him to be taken aback, but instead the Smeargle chuckled, a slight grin formed on his face. "Ah... The rain, what a _magnificent_ sight... If only I were able to see such a thing..."

"W-well, it was still raining when I made my way back down. It might still be now. I can take you up there to see it if you want..." Pathos suggested.

The Smeargle waved him off. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm... not exactly _able_ to see. But I've never let that get to me, as you've seen," he said, smiling at the last part.

It made sense now why the Smeargle had his eyes closed so much. But Pathos was still befuddled. "I... wouldn't have guessed, with how well you... paint, and... get around... How do you manage to do that?"

The Smeargle hummed, tapping a finger to his mouth. "Well, as a Smeargle, I have a few ways to help myself around, or aid me in my work... but I don't like to rely on those tactics, they make me feel... how do you say... cheap."

Pathos adjusted the towel on his back. "But, it's just... how can you manage to create such magnificent paintings with such a disability? How can you keep painting if you can't even begin to admire your work?"

The artist paused. Then, without hesitation, the Smeargle said, "May I ask you to follow me again? I think I should _show you_ something," and walked over to the closed door on the inset opposite the first, opening it.

Pathos carefully followed the short Pokémon through a winding hall that was barely lit up. It was about a five minute walk before the two entered an open room with a beautiful shade of orange covering the walls, brought into light by more lanterns that dangled from the ceiling. Hung up around the room were gorgeous paintings, each framed with spectacular stained wood. At the back there was yet another doorway, which could be seen to extend into another room full of paintings.

"This is..." the Absol stuttered, taking some steps into the room to familiarize himself. "Are these all yours?"

"Your question made me think that you've never given yourself much of a chance to think positively. Arceus knows that I understand how that is. I figured that by showing what I've accomplished myself, that perhaps you could look at your problems in a bit of a different light." The Smeargle smirked. "You asked me how I could continue painting if I couldn't even admire my own work. What you don't get is that I'm not painting for myself—I'm painting for others. But, I haven't really found the place nor the time to move all of my works from here. However I don't hesitate to get input from others, or show my generosity and create something for someone else.

"What I'm trying to say is, wallowing about your situation is no way to solve a problem, nor is it a way to make progress. I decided on this path, and set my mind forward, and _I_ achieved my goals. But _can you?_ "

Pathos' eyes met the Smeargle's empty eyes, then the Absol gazed down dejectedly. "...I don't know. My life's been a whole jumbled mess for the past few weeks."

The Smeargle took a step back. "Would you like to talk to me about it? Perhaps getting your concerns off your mind would help you think clearly and come up with a solution."

Normally, Pathos would outright deny talking personally with anyone, regardless the situation. But given his circumstances, he didn't feel like rejecting the help. "I... I guess it wouldn't hurt to try, huh? It's just... where do I start?"

The Smeargle shook his head slightly. "Well, if it's any comfort, perhaps we should introduce ourselves." The Smeargle raised his hand in a thumbs up. "I'm Rasim. As you've seen, I'm an artist, and I simply _cannot_ drag myself away from abstract art. It's got a certain personality that clutches me so. But you... who are _you?_ "

Pathos exhaled dolefully. "I wish I fucking knew. With the shit I've been through recently, I've been questioning my identity."

"It's fine. Just start how you want, and end how you want. I'm available for as long as you need," Rasim reassured him.

Pathos took a few shaky breaths. "Well... I'm Pathos. Just... well, for me, a few days ago, I became part of a team at The Invictus. At least... I _was_ on a team. Until today..." The Absol coughed. "I joined the team because I needed to find my place... I didn't have anything to my name, and I had nowhere to go—at least that way, I had a place to stay. But what now? My reason for being here has been tossed out the window..."

"If you can forgive my prodding, what happened that you're no longer on the team?" Rasim inquired.

The Absol bit his lip. "W-well... I don't know _why_... I'm still trying to figure that one out. Me and my friend... she was the team leader... she wasn't really doing fine. I begged for her to follow me back to base, but... she kept refusing, and... we got into a fight. She stormed off, and I haven't seen her since. We said some things to each other that we shouldn't have, and I just feel like shit because of it. I had one chance, and I blew it up."

"I see no reason you should blame yourself, however," Rasim said calmly. "I don't know anything about the history of you and your friend, so I don't think I have the right to say much. But at the very least, don't blame _yourself_. You regret what happened, but you can't keep lingering on the past." The Smeargle used his hand to lift Pathos' head. "Keep your head raised, and try to correct your mistakes. You seem quite smart. I have faith that you'll be able to do that much."

"But how do I begin fixing this? Even if I could find her, she's probably still mad at me, and I'm nowhere ready to face her again. Not after what happened..."

Rasim shook his head, frowning. "Why would you need to apologize? It sounds like your friend is the one at fault here. I'm not trying to be rude—you seem perfectly reasonable, and you say she wasn't doing okay. You valued her state over whatever it was she was doing. You're quite magnanimous. But your friend refused to listen to you. I don't think you did anything wrong—because of that, you don't need to do anything. Until she comes back to reality, I think you should wait."

Pathos' lip quivered. "Rasim, she was _all_ I had. She's been there to help me out since we met. She was the first person to help me and see that I get better. She was my only friend, Rasim!"

The Smeargle looked in Pathos' general direction—through him, almost, something that unsettled Pathos to no end. "I'm not going to force you to do _anything_. I'm just giving you advice. So if you want to do something about your problem, you're free to go ahead and do so. But I just ask that you consider the consequences. You care about her—a lot. But you need to start caring about yourself, too."

Rasim sighed. "Maybe until then, she was your only friend. But I've taken a liking to you, and listening to you now made me realize that we are quite alike. You're also an enjoyable person to talk to. Perhaps you do not think so. But, please, if you need anything, just seek me out. I'm _more_ than willing to help you out. Just remember that there are always people that care about you. Hold them close—you never know when they'll be taken away."

A sense of warmth soaked the Absol as he looked away bashfully. "...Thanks, Rasim. It means a lot. More than you can imagine."

"I offered to help, and you accepted. if anything, _I_ should be grateful." Rasim smiled at Pathos. "You took a step in the right direction. You're not perfect, and neither is your friend. I'm sorry things ended up the way they did, but there isn't much more I can do than comfort you and provide helpful insight."

The towel still cloaked the Dark-type's back, and he wiggled it slightly. The two had been dropped into tranquil, nothing more to say between them.

Pathos approached Rasim. "Hey... if it's not too much trouble, could you continue working on the painting you were creating over at the lake? It was fun, watching you do that."

The Smeargle laughed. "I would be honored."

* * *

Pathos' original plan to head back to base and sleep was decimated after he spent hours mesmerized by hypnotic brush movements. Rasim's skill was something else. He quickly switched between brushes, knives, and different paints. The Smeargle named the finished painting "Melancholy Delectation." He said that the conflicting title and imagery merged in a poetic way. Pathos agreed.

When Pathos informed Rasim that he had to leave, the Smeargle gave his farewell. Though the Absol didn't find an exact answer to his problem, he felt another step closer to figuring it out. Right now, Pathos was on his way to visit Maea. Why? He wasn't sure. But she was the one other person he knew he could find, and the only other one he could talk to. But first, he decided, he needed to talk to someone else.

When Pathos entered the lobby of The Invictus, a cool breezed brushed past, causing him to shiver. Iris was at her desk shuffling through a pile of papers, her back to Pathos. She occasionally dropped a few sheets papers into a waste bin.

The Absol approached the Azelf and asked, "Hey, Iris? Do you have a moment?"

The pixie flipped to face Pathos upside down. "Oh, hey, Pathos. I think I can spare some time." She took a momentary glance at his side. "Where's Celestine?"

"Well... that's what I'm here to talk to you about. I _don't_ know where she is. I don't even know if she'll come back. But we got into a fight, and my only belief is that I'm not on the team anymore—or rather, that there isn't one anymore," he said softly.

"Ah..." Iris sighed. "I'm sorry about that. Would you like some help looking for her, or—"

"No, no. I don't need that. Thanks for the offer, but I just need some time..." Pathos sighed. "I hope it's not too much of a bother, but can you still let me stay in the team room? At the very least, I'd like to have a bed. I... don't have anywhere else I can go."

"Oh, sure! Those rooms are technically reserved to working teams, but I can pull a few strings to let you stay there. At least until a new team is going to need it. And besides, I don't think anyone will stop you from keeping your place. Nevertheless, nobody here wants to be stranded in this desert. It's why we lead refugee groups in the first place. So don't feel like you're not welcome."

Pathos's grin was forlorn. "Thanks, Iris. It's nice to be reassured after what's happened."

"Well, I'm glad I could help. It's never nice, having to see someone in such a poor state. I just want to make sure you'll be okay," Iris said, further supporting Pathos.

The Absol's words hung in his throat, blocked by enormous anxiety. He walked away speechlessly, trudging down the staircase in the back of the lobby. Again, he entered dark, then light, then dark, then light. But somehow, He wasn't necessarily bothered. He wasn't sure why. But, whatever the case would be, he would tackle it when he had the time.

The hub was still filled with life, contrary to Pathos' expectations. He softly observed the dimly lit cavern, and migrated to the lower floor. For the third time he'd be walking by the shops with nothing to donate. And why would he? With not even a single Poké to his name, what _could_ he do?

Pathos resumed walking to the arched hall in the back. Thankfully he remembered the zig-zagging path to the clinic, and he arrived with little trouble.

A busy-looking Aggron turned around from her tools to greet him with a large smile. "My, Pathos!" Maea walked over to him and knelt down, a tender hand caressing Pathos' back. "Are you feeling better? You certainly _look_ better."

Pathos tilted his head back and forth. "Somewhat. I'm currently wracked with a bigger problem, though. But that's not the reason I'm here. I just wanted to drop in to have another check up, make sure I'm okay. I want to hear it from someone who knows what they're doing."

"Well, I'm glad you came to me, then. I'll take a look and see if anything's wrong," the gentle giant said.

Pathos was positioned up on the bed, Maea giving him a check-up. Pathos grunted as he turned to lift some pressure off his chest. "I met an interesting person earlier, Maea," Pathos said, almost craning his neck to look at his caregiver.

She paused her motions for a moment, a look of confusion aimed at her patient. "Oh, who would that be? You don't seem to be one to talk about others much."

"I'll take that as a compliment," the Absol uttered. "I went to the lakeside to relax for a bit, to think about what the hell is going on. A little ways down the edge, I saw someone having away at a painting. Really damn good." By now, Maea had pulled up a chair and sat down. "But I found out he was actually blind, and despite that, he's able to go about life in such an upbeat way, not caring that he doesn't have something so integral to life... How does he do it?"

The Aggron looked in the distance, squinting. "The person you described... that definitely _sounds_ familiar..." She dragged a claw along her chin, creating a chilling shriek. "Would... would you tell me his name?"

"I mean... yeah, I suppose. Does the name Rasim ring a bell?"

She didn't respond, instead, a sentimental smile reaching both sides of her head. "What a name... I haven't heard about him in years." Maea dropped a hand on Pathos' back. "You've found yourself an unlikely friend. Rasim used to be the court painter—"

"T-the court painter?" Pathos gasped, interrupting Maea. "Surely someone like that would live somewhere more appreciable than this!"

"I guess you really wouldn't understand, huh?" Maea gazed up, retrieving her hand from Pathos' back. "It's not like he's the court painter anymore, so it's not like he's going to have much privilege. And besides, even if he did, Rasim's a very modest guy—barely keeps anything for himself. He's an incredible man, and you should respect that. It's a shame that he was discharged, because the current court painter definitely lies in the shadow of a superior artist.

"Again, it's a real shame that he was discharged. But if he's doing well... I guess he doesn't have a problem with that. He used to pay regular visits here; it wasn't uncommon to run across him here. Said that he could not scrape the image of Dorothea from his mind. That its glamour outshined that of any other place he'd been to—even Prato della Vita."

Maea saw the confusion on Pathos' face. "That's the massive stretch of plains to the east of the Tartarus, by the way." She looked away, her eyes trailing the wall. "Anyway, even as his blindness slowly gripped his vision, he pushed forward, shrugging it off. That's something to look up to."

"Wow..." Pathos said, Rasim's image appearing mentally. The Smeargle didn't act or look the part of court painter, even if former. It's impressive that such a person was able to accomplish as much as he had.

"I'm going to assume that you've already had a good chat with him. But I'm surprised that he didn't fill you in on his previous occupation. I mean... I guess you never really bothered to ask anything about him, huh?"

Pathos shook his head. "No... we didn't really talk about him. He really helped clear my mind, though." Pathos' expression fell flat, a tired breath escaping his lungs. "Well... I say that, but I've been left with more questions than I started with. I guess... you're the only other person I know to talk to, and I needed a way to clear my mind of these problems. So maybe I really did come here to vent."

"Hm..." Maea cooed, straightening her posture. "Well, then. Let's start helping. You mentioned a problem of yours. Perhaps that would be something good to start off with?" Maea questioned lightly. (The softness in her eyes reminded Pathos of Celestine.)

The Absol didn't speak. Despite everything, he wasn't sure. Was this a correct way of solving his problems? He was only used to dealing with his issues himself, and for the first time, he actually cared about what was happening, the people around him.

Pathos mentally hit himself. He knew he didn't have a choice, that he needed to take action and stop lazing about.

Pathos recited the past day's experiences, breaking off at points to not get worked up, and then continuing, from the team's positive outlook during the first mission, to their client's death, to the fight in the market area of Lake Dorothea. He talked of how the entire series of events affected him, his stress over it all.

Maea tripped on her words, taking her time to figure out what to say. "I... I'm sorry about all of that." She cleared her throat. "...I can't imagine how it must be affecting Celestine. To have such a crippling failure on the first mission..." Maea looked up, the softness in her eyes receding slightly. "But... this isn't about her, right now. It's about you."

The Aggron moved her seat a little closer, and Pathos sat up. "What exactly are you so stricken by? Is it your client's death? The confusion about your situation? Your separation from your partner?"

"I... Every part hurt, but... I don't know. It... it hurt the most when I lost Celestine." He looked directly into the Aggron's eyes. "I had nothing, Maea. Nothing but _her_." Pathos sniffed, his eyes tearing up. "I had _nothing_ until I met her, Maea! She... she saved my life, gave me a reason to start over, and try again... She listened to me, even if it inconvenienced her..." He wiped his nose and sniffed. "The reason I'm here, swept away!" Pathos' body sulked. "What am I supposed to do, now that I've lost the only thing I've been given?"

Maea faltered, tilting her head and looking off, as though considering her next words carefully. "Pathos... I... don't wish to be insensitive, but you've been relying on her a little too much, I think. She's an emotional crutch for you, and because she's left you, you're left on the ground, helpless. I'm not saying you should sever your ties, but you need to be able to support yourself if you want to support her. _You_ are just as important as _her_."

Maea's focus tightened on Pathos. "She's not all you have, either. Me, Rasim—we're both here for you if you need someone to talk to. Please, don't make yourself out to be so terrible. That's the _last_ thing I want to see happen."

Pathos tried and tried, but he could do naught but capitulate to his emotions, and he began to cry. Where had he been that he was too arrogant to see that he wasn't alone, even _after_ talking to Rasim? Not that it mattered—the proof was irrefutable. Company, friendship, acceptance. All things he'd not thought possible. It all started as he met Celestine. Positivity kept on coming, and only just now did it hit him.

"M-Maea... thank you...! I..." Pathos heaved between sobs, but Maea waved it off, and brought him into her arms.

"You don't need to worry. Give it time. You can't simply act out without care. I have faith that you can pull it off," she whispered to him, caressing the back of his head. "It's okay..."

Pathos was reluctant to withdraw himself from the Aggron's embrace. "Maea... again, thanks. I... hope you don't mind if I leave now. I need to sleep. It's been a long day..."

Maea's metallic visage expressed relief. "You definitely sound better. I hope talking to me helped. Go get yourself some much needed rest, Pathos."

Pathos had returned to his room after that, his eyes red and his head in shambles because of crying. He went straight to bed, thankful to not have to worry about what time to wake up. He just needed to be ready for the next day.

* * *

 **End of Chapter IX**


	12. Chapter 10: Unfettered

**Chapter X: Unfettered**

* * *

Pathos stretched, forcefully shutting his eyes in protest to the sun rays spreading from the ceiling. He'd slept well again that night, but was reluctant to get out of bed, too lazy now that he was no longer obligated to rise to meet some new goal. Nevertheless, Pathos stretched again, rolled off his bed, and landed clumsily on his feet.

Pathos was unbearable aware of how alone he felt with Celestine there. Even when he first met her, those few days he spent in the village, she was there to greet him in the morning. It simply felt wrong to occupy the place with her gone.

He stopped for a moment. _I wonder where she is?_ Pathos thought, failing at getting the strap of his bag to sit comfortably on his scarf. _Wherever she is,_ _I just hope she's safe..._

The Absol's thoughts petered as he finally managed to get the irksome strap situated. His concern was replaced by hurry as he started out the door of the base. Pathos was hungry, but he wasn't sure if he'd still be receiving free meals; he figured it best to not test the thought.

Pathos had asked himself what he could spend the morning on. There really weren't many options, but one caught his attention immediately. After talking with Maea the night before, he wanted to turn around and go visit Rasim again.

On his way to Rasim's house, he carefully shoved himself through the seas of Pokémon, trying not to get sidetracked , as there seemed to be a few new stands situated about the hub. Since it was quite early in the morning, the light through Fort Securitas was almost as tired as the crowds it bathed. Pathos only hoped that Rasim would be up by this hour.

When the Absol stood face-to-face with the door to Rasim's house, he froze. _Rasim said that he's more than willing to help... I just hope he'll be just as willing at this time._

Pathos stood in silence for a moment as he sorted out the most comfortable way to knock on the door. A few solitary minutes crawled by before a groggy Smeargle cracked the door open, and Pathos sighed in relief.

He was about to start talking when Rasim's expression brightened, that signature smile creeping onto his face. "Oh, Pathos. What's got you up and about so early?"

"Um..." Pathos said. "How'd you know it was me? I... haven't said anything yet."

"Come on, Pathos," he chuckled at Pathos' confusion, "who else could it be this early in the morning, _especially_ after last night?" After not getting a desired reaction from the Absol, he shook his head. "Well, whatever. Care to answer my question?"

"O-oh." Pathos tilted his head, maintaining eye contact with Rasim. "Honestly? I just... want to talk. I don't have much else to do, since missions are out of the question, because... you know. I'm just looking for some company."

Rasim's casual smile found its place. "Well, come on in! I'd love to talk with you."

The Smeargle stepped aside to let Pathos in, the Absol embracing the surprisingly homely demeanor of the room inside. Pathos let himself into the back room, Rasim shortly behind him. Among all the different paintings, Pathos noticed here weren't many depicting something that resembled the vast expanse of desert above their heads.

Pathos eyed one the paintings, which had a bizarre collection of shapes that melded together in ways that gave a confusing impression. Pathos turned to Rasim, who was off against one wall, slowly and carefully dragging a claw across one of his paintings, as if unimpressed.

Pathos walked over and asked, "Hey, Rasim... I talked to someone at The Invictus last night. I heard from them that you haven't always been blind." The Absol peered at another panting, one that looked much like a vast, swirling landscape filled with blue and red. "So... what's it like out there? Outside of the desert? Is it as beautiful as I think it is?"

"Well, I could take the easy way out and say 'yes,' but I think it's best that it be left to you to decide that fact. There's _so much_ to see, too much to see in one lifetime." Rasim made a clicking noise with his tongue. "What brought that up? Are you thinking of going somewhere?"

"Well... sorta. It's just... On my first mission the other day, I caught a glimpse of what I _believe_ is Prato della Vita." Pathos then realized he'd not told Rasim his once-companion's name. "Myteam leader... Her name's Celestine. Me and her... we weren't able to get there, but... the sight's been engraved in my mind since. It was... the last time I was able to enjoy something with her."

"Hm," Rasim murmured, twirling his tail in his paws. "You're not just telling me this. It sounds to me like there's something you want to do. What's up?"

Pathos stared helplessly into the Smeargle's eyes. "Rasim, there's somewhere I want to go... Where I think Celestine might have gone. But... I don't want to do it alone. I... I'd hate to steal you from your work, but, it's a good few hours away, and... I just need someone to talk to."

"I see..." Rasim tilted his head. "Would you not be able to teleport there? If I recall correctly, The Invictus is part of a teleportation network the Empire has. Wouldn't you be able to go there using that?"

"W-well, I can't exactly give an exact location, or a name. I've only been there once, and I didn't stay long enough to really know. So... I don't really think I can get there unless I go on foot."

Rasim raised an eyebrow. "Actually, forget that for a moment. Just yesterday you seemed so conflicted on whether or not you should let your partner be for now. And did I not suggest that you wait? Why are you suddenly so eager to go find her? "

"W-well," Pathos spoke softly, his posture drooping, "...I don't know. I just can't help but _want_ to try and make up. Maybe I'm crazy, but..." He sighed. "Rasim, please, just this one time, can you come with me?"

Rasim looked at the Absol, not speaking for a minute or two, but pacing slightly. "...I don't exactly grasp what your motives are, but if you're sure about it..." He looked away, but his voice was projected all the same. "What all do you have for supplies?"

Pathos shifted bashfully. "N-nothing... All we had is now with _her_. I don't have any money, so I can't even go and buy something."

Rasim started heading towards the door back to the living room. "Well, luckily for you, I had to do some exploration of my own a while back. I kept everything just in case it could all come in handy. I guess I was right to do so." The Smeargle's dead eyes traced their way back to Pathos. "Follow me, will you?"

Rasim led Pathos through the hall, and into the other doorway. Rasim shot a few balls of fire at lanterns, which lit up the area, to show a modest kitchen. However, there wasn't time for Pathos to get used to the room, and he was dragged into yet another backroom, which, when lit up, showed itself to be a bedroom. There was another door in the back, and a small ladder just to the left, which burrowed into the ceiling.

The Smeargle walked over to a rickety table next to a bed on the left side of the room, a small, bulging drawstring bag slouching on the tabletop. Rasim clutched the loop at the top, and raised it in front of him. He stared at it as if he'd just remembered something but almost instantly forgot what it was, and was trying to understand what it was.

"I'll give you some food to put in your bag," Rasim said—a hint of embarrassment crept onto Pathos' face—dropping his head, then turning to Pathos. "...I'll go with you. I'm not about to let you carelessly wander off into the desert. In a place that barren, there's no need to stress yourself."

While he felt a little guilty, Pathos was relieved that Rasim would be accompanying him. He wanted—no, _needed_ —the Smeargle to be there to provide emotional help, to to help him confront Celestine.

The newly formed duo gathered their supplies, and made sure they had all they needed. Then they traversed the cave, through the city, up the path, making it to the overlook. Pathos stopped and glanced back. To think he was now tracing his steps back to where his journey began...

Outside, Pathos and Rasim were greeted with a faintly fresh smell that lingered in the air. They simultaneously breathed it in, the scent calming them before they headed for a set of doors, careful not to step on any of the glass domes. There was a lever mechanism just to the left of the doors, something Pathos had neglected to notice before. At least now he knew that there was a way to get out.

Rasim heaved the lever back, a shattering _clang_ shaking the ground. The oppressive set of doors creaked open, the drawbridge just beyond wearily lowering a few seconds later. Pathos had expected the Golurk to be roaring to life, but they rested ever more. (He admittedly wanted to see them stir once more.)

Once the team had settled their feet onto solid ground, the gates closed, and the drawbridge was raised, leaving the two Pokémon alone in the desert.

"So... which way is it?" Rasim asked, looking around. "You'd better be really sure about where we're going, because if we get lost out here, we'll _never_ get back."

Pathos chuckled. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time I'd be stranded out here." Pathos shrunk back when his statement brought a frown from Rasim. "Tasteless joke, right... "

Pathos looked around, making a whole three-sixty. "Don't worry, I remember. It's..." he trailed off, lifting the compass on his scarf, only to remember it was only directed towards the various waypoints. He sucked one of his cheeks in, and faced the wooden fortress, backing up. _Let's see... how did it look when me and Celestine first got here?_

Pathos, thankfully, was able to recall, and he reassured Rasim. "...That way," he said, pointing to their south-west.

"Ah, I see," the Smeargle retorted, a minute trace of worry in his voice. "Let's hope that holds true."

Pathos nearly turned his head back, but resisted the urge. _There's no need to be unsure about this. I need to do this..._ In a line of events that felt very similar to Pathos, they began.

Pathos had mostly been in an unaware state for a while, until he noticed the methodical thump their footsteps made, dragging out of his trance. He tried to force it from his mind, but it grew ever more apparent, slowly driving him to insanity. He finally gave in and looked at his companion and said, "Hey, Rasim. I also heard that you used to come to Fort Securitas a lot when you were serving the Emperor. Something about Dorothea captivating you. What made it so fascinating to you?"

A nostalgiac smile crept onto his face. "Well... I'm not sure, honestly. I haven't been able to see it with my eyes in so many years, all I have to go off are my memories, which can be fuzzy. But... there was something majestic about the contradiction that resides within its existence. A lake—a sign of life—in a desert—a symbol of desolation..."

A quick gust of wind interrupted Rasim. "Well, not in the sense people would expect. Which makes it even _better_. What an unassuming appearance! Who'd suspect to find that untapped gold mine just under their feet?" He imitated a smelling motion. "The cool, soothing scent... The suave glow... How could one _not_ be enticed? Sure, there's many beautiful places in the Empire, but Fort Securitas? It's a gem, a _marvel_."

The Smeargle chuckled, and he leaned his head back, squinting his eyes in response to the sun. "I used to know someone who was baffled how I could prefer Dorothea over Prato della Vita. I tried explaining to them how much more important Fort Securitas is, but they never could see it from my view."

Pathos raised an eyebrow, digging through his mind, having recognized the statement. "Rasim, did... have you ever met an Aggron named Maea?"

Disbelief splashed onto Rasim's face, and he shook his head, a huff escaping him. "Arceus... Yeah, that's who I'm talking about. She must be the one who told you all those things about me, huh?" That drew a nod from Pathos.

Rasim closed his eyes and bobbed his head, continuing, "That's a bit of a surprise, but it's great to know she still remembers me. Perhaps I should go pay her a visit sometime," he muttered, snickering. "Well, I guess you happened to also talk to her about... this, too." Rasim scratched his chin. "Anyway, completely off-topic, but... would you mind if I told you a little more about myself? We've got more than enough time, and I think it'd only be fair if you knew more about me."

"What reason could I have to stop you? Go ahead." Pathos reassured him, accompanying his statement with a brief smile.

"I'll start with my blindness—you already know, I've not always been blind. But I'd probably been court painter for... three, maybe four, years when the blindness started to settle in. I was unsuspecting at first. I'd started having troubles getting around at night, and I just thought that maybe... I don't know... I guess I just didn't let it get to me."

Rasim's expression softened, and his shoulders slumped. "But... when my eyes started to disagree with bright lights... I knew something was up. I didn't want too big of a deal out of it, so I never brought it up. I'm still not sure if that was such a good idea."

He shook his head, looking off in the distance. "It became hard to focus on my work, and when it was inquired if I was alright, I had to give in. His Highness made the choice to discharge me. He was reluctant about it, that's for sure; I could hear it in His voice. But He didn't want to risk anything bad happening, either to me or to the works I made, and that's fine. I'm far over it now."

He ever so slightly shifted from somber to glee. "Though, I've heard people say that the current court painter doesn't hold a candle to me, which warms my heart."

Pathos made a clicking noise, thinking. "How long ago was this? It sure doesn't sound very recent. I never could get myself interested in current events..."

"Arceus," Rasim said, scratching his head, "I want to say... around five years ago?" He smiled sadly. "You'd think that my fame would continue to this day, but to be honest... No one really bats an eye, or recognizes me. Once you leave the scene, that's it. Everyone moves on to the next person in line, your name having departed with you."

The soft howl of the wind again swooshed by before Rasim resumed talking. "But whatever. I've sort of been living casually, I don't really need to draw too much attention to myself. I just want to be... the painter that's occasionally seen around town. I enjoyed being the court painter, but... sometimes, there was just this nagging pressure for me to finish the painting just as it was wanted. This is a nice break from the constant work of being court painter."

Pathos hummed, and blinked a few times, his eyes a bit sore. "So what about your experience in exploration? You mentioned you've done that earlier."

"Ah, that. I often traveled to gather inspiration for my artwork and to get some fresh air to fuel my sanity. It was oftentimes more work than the paintings it was for!" Rasim glanced at Pathos. "Perhaps I should take you around sometime, show you what else this world has to offer?"

A delightful grin spread across Pathos' face. "Yeah, I'd love joy that. I'd like to show Celestine, too."

Rasim moved over to the Absol's side and put a paw on his back, rubbing slightly. "It's a deal, then."

Pathos sighed, and closed his eyes momentarily. They'd been walking for a few hours, and he'd slowly been getting more tired. He remembered how it was to travel all the time as a refugee; he hated it. At least this time he knew that there'd be relief at the end of it.

Pathos and Rasim talked off and on, which helped greatly to occupy the time, because just as the sun was setting, the quaint, rustic buildings that comprised the village crawled from behind the horizon. Pathos looked up and sighed as he took in the familiar sight, reliving memories. It had felt so long ago, yet it also felt so recent. There, in front of him, was the same village where his new life began.

Rasim was rather confused. "A settlement... out here? I'm surprised you were able to find this, Pathos."

"Well..." Pathos began, looking at the buildings, "I _didn't_ find it. I was brought here. By Celestine..." An eerily echoic lack of words followed a sentimental frown on Pathos' face before both were swooshed away. "Why don't you follow me for a little bit more?"

The Smeargle obliged, stepping behind Pathos and extending a reassuring hand." _I'm_ the stranger here, it'd be pointless not to!"

It was almost nostalgiac to Pathos, the village. He'd spent a good few days there, and was surprised just how much of it he recognized, despite his time there feeling like a distant memory.

While Pathos could have done any number of things, visited a few people, there was one place he needed to visit first, an obstacle that needed clearing.

Pathos brought Rasim to a ragged tent, drapes indicating the entrance, a dim glow exuding from within. The Absol took a weighted breath, and steeled himself. He hesitated a second time just before entering, but shook his head and went through.

Just to his right sat a familiar Slowking, tinkering with various objects. He aggressively shook his fist before going limp but perking up a few moments after. He paused, and turned around, nearly jumping from his seat when he saw who had just entered his residence. "...Pathos?"

A half-hearted grin flashed at the Slowking as Pathos let himself into the tent. "Long time no see, Vadimas. I hope things have been well. I'm not interrupting something important, am I?"

"Of course not! I needed to take a break anyway." Vadimas stumbled off his seat, and only just then he noticed Rasim. "And... who is this?"

"He's Rasim, a friend of mine. I met him a few days ago at The Invictus," Pathos answered, stepping forward. "But, I didn't come here to introduce you two. Actually, I... I want to know if you might have an idea where Celestine is? She's... she's gone missing."

Vadimas looked puzzled and worried, and, slowly, he said, "Celelestine...?"

"Y-yeah..." the Absol admitted. "We... got into an argument, and things escalated pretty far... She ran off after that, and I haven't seen her for nearly two days, and... I thought that, maybe, she'd have come back here?"

Vadimas exhaled through closed lips. "I... no, I haven't seen her... Are you sure she's not anywhere back at The Invictus?"

"About as sure as I an be. I don't think she'd settle in with strangers at all, that just doesn't sound like something she would do. She's too humble."

Vadimas still faced Pathos, but no longer maintained eye contact. "I'm afraid that I... I can't tell you anywhere she could have gone. I've kept her in my sight since I'd met her, and we rarely left the village."

Pathos' heart sunk, the pillar of optimism he'd built up simply crumbling beneath him. He was so hopeful that she'd be here, so _confident_ that he'd find her. Yet he'd just wasted away his time because of his unfounded belief. He wanted to kick something, to let out his frustration.

Instead, he held his breath, and then sighed. "...Well, thanks, Vadimas." Pathos wasn't sure what to do. His only lead, useless.

"Pathos, I..." Vadimas uttered as he approached to comfort the Absol, but Rasim held him back, and gave him a gesture that said, 'Let me deal with it.' The Slowking reluctantly obliged.

Pathos looked up at Vadimas. "Anyways... is there anywhere in town we could rest for the night? We've spent all day crossing the desert, and we're both tired. And, well, I really don't feel like going back right now..."

"Ah, yes... Follow me, will you?" Vadimas said, turning to his desk for a few moments before politely wedging between the two and out of the tent. Rasim obeyed immediately, but Pathos lagged.

"So, um..." Vadimas said, taking a few moments to form his words, "How's The Invictus been? I'd expected that you'd be coming back a day or two after you left. After a few more days had passed, I really didn't expect to see you any time soon. Granted, I wasn't too worried about anything, but I am surprised to see you back so soon."

Pathos tilted and shook his head. "It's been so-so. I joined Celestine to do work there, but our first job was a total failure. It's... I think it's partially what led to our argument. At least I have a home for now..."

The Slowking hummed, greeting a passerby. "Ah... I do recall you wanting someplace to stay. I'm glad you have that much, even if it's come at a cost."

"Mm," Pathos mumbled, his mind a little disjointed from the conversation. "I wouldn't exactly say it's worth the cost, honestly. I know you're worried about Celestine, too."

"Wait, Pathos, you never told me you had trouble finding a place to stay before. Care to tell me about it?" Rasim exclaimed, his quick interruption startling Pathos.

The Absol bit his cheek. "Well... I was in a bit of a terrible situation before I met up with Celestine. I used to be a refugee, but I never really had good luck there."

"Arceus... well, I'm sure you're quite glad that you've gotten out of that. You at least have a roof over your head."

Vadimas nodded. "I would love to upgrade from my tent, that's for sure..." He cleared his throat, continuing his march. "Anyway...You're absolutely correct, Pathos. I'm _very_ worried. But... she's capable. I believe she can handle things herself." Vadimas then stopped, his mouth agape, but he closed it when he turned to Pathos. "But... when you finally meet back up... Keep an eye on her, please? I would greatly appreciate it."

"Yeah... You have my word," Pathos affirmed.

Vadimas brought the Pathos and Rasim to a neat building a few stories high, windows placed evenly apart on each floor. The Slowking checked them into the hotel and said his farewells while the duo went to their room, where they settled. (Pathos wondered why he hadn't known about the place beforehand.) The Absol dropped his bag and went straight for one of the beds in the room and relaxed as he hit the mattress.

Holding some food he scavenged from Pathos bag, Rasim sat down next to him. "Vadimas... he seems like a nice guy. Are you aware of the fact he trusts you?" The Smeargle's question didn't rouse an answer from Pathos, and Rasim puffed out his cheeks. "...You're feeling dejected because you feel like you've accomplished nothing today, aren't you?" He sat the food down in front of Pathos. "...Why is that?"

"Because I screwed up _again!_ " Pathos growled, jerking his head. "I wasted all that time, yet nothing came from it. I was so _sure_ Celestine would be here. Maybe you were right... Maybe I should have just waited..."

The Smeargle flipped his tail around in his paws, playing with it, but he stopped to shake his head. "Are you sure you wasted your time? Because it seems to me that you learned something today. You learned that Celestine isn't _here_."

"And? Can you explain to me how that's a good thing?"

"It's an important fact. I mean... this isn't the _only_ place she could have gone. Perhaps it's the most logical, but not the _only_." He stood up off the bed and walked over to a small table, brushing a fine amount of dust off, grinding it between two fingers. "It took so long to walk out here, I don't think she would have wandered any farther."

Rasim sat back down, on the bed across from Pathos'. He rested his head in his paws, and his eyes gazed upon Pathos. "Now you have a rough area of where to look. Now you have _options_. Look for the next.."

Pathos now had a mouthful of food, and he craned his neck towards the window, where the sun was beginning to rest beneath a blanket of clouds and desert expanse. He cleared his mouth and said, "But... the trouble is settling on _where_ to look next. Maybe Vadimas is confident in her being able to protect herself, but _I_ don't feel like she can fend for herself... I can't let that happen again..."

"Then don't let yourself get so beat up. Keep going. Don't sulk, get up and _do_ something about it. You're not going to be able to do anything if this is your mentality. You need to have faith in yourself, _and_ in Celestine." Rasim roughly pat the Absol's back, and went over to his side of the room.

Pathos briefly got up so he could reposition himself on the bed. He curled up, his head facing towards the window. _Have faith in myself and Celestine..._ he repeated Rasim's words, his voice still lingering in his mind. He wondered just how much longer he'd have to do so, because nothing felt the same to him without Celestine there.

* * *

In the morning, not long after Pathos and Rasim had woken up, Vadimas hastily paid the two a visit, a rapid knock on the door alarming them.

"Pathos... I never got to thank you for accompanying Celestine. I was a bit selfish-thinking back then, so... I hope this can make up for it," the Slowking said, producing a small, clinking sack. "I managed to scrounge up some extra change for you, something I really should have given you earlier. It's around 2,500 Poké, if I counted right."

"Wha—really?!" Pathos exclaimed, looking around for his bag, skipping over to pick it up when he spotted it. "Vadimas, I..." Pathos trailed off, baffled, his eyes plastered to his gift.

Rasim hopped over to Vadimas to receive the money for Pathos. "Honestly, thank you," he said. "Pathos hasn't really had the best couple of days, so it's very generous of you to give him this."

Vadimas shrugged, turning his head. "Well, I really do owe it to him. He helped me when I was simply too incompetent to look after Celestine. But... thinking about it now... Perhaps it was for the best. He helped me come to my senses."

The Slowking shakily knelt, and he eyed Pathos as he rested a rounded paw on his head. "Pathos, Celestine needs you. She's... right now, I'm positive she needs you there more than anything."

Vadimas squinted as he shifted his gaze towards the window, rising to his feet again. "But... when you see her again, I also want you tell her I'm sorry, and that... I want to talk to her again sometime." A sad grin formed on his face. "Well, until next time, I suppose," he said regretfully, making eye contact one more time before he opened the door.

"Wait, Vadimas," Pathos requested just as the Slowking was about to close the door, coaxing him back into the room. "I'm... also sorry. For being as rude as I was. I really wish I would have stayed and talked with you a little more. I just want you to know that I'm really grateful for your help."

Vadimas gave a faint chortle, a twinge of surprise and happiness intermingled within. "It's fine. I've had my fair share of unfavorable moments. I really wish I could help you out, but I'm just so damn busy, I can't afford to lend a hand. I... again, I'm sorry. It's important that you let Celestine know that." He cleared his throat, and straightened his posture.

"A-anyway. I'll be taking my leave. Rasim, would you help Pathos out? I think maybe you could do that for me, but also for Celestine. Take it as atoken of my gratitude," he said, Rasim nodding in acceptance.

"And you, Pathos," Vadimas hesitantly said, breaking off as he caressed his chin. "Good luck—and please—find her, okay?"

"You have my word, Vadimas." the Absol promised, eliciting an acknowledging nod from the Slowking as he left the room, finally ushering in a new topic for debate.

Rasim put down the sack of money on his bed and looked back at Pathos. "Hey, Pathos. What's your history with Vadimas? You two talked like you know each other on a personal level."

"Well... Vadimas is a sort of father figure to Celestine. I think... Anyway, Celestine found me battered and bruised in the desert, so she brought me here, where Vadimas helped fix me up." Pathos moved around erratically in a slightly anxious manner. "He lost Celestine one day and he was too caught up in his worry to look for her himself. But as you heard, I never really thanked him for it, and I really didn't speak much to him."

"Then why don't you ask him to accompany us back? I'm sure we could get him situated somewhere in Fort Securitas."

Pathos yelped as he accidentally bit one of his cheeks, forcing a sigh to break away. "Vadimas was always super busy before me and Celestine went to The Invictus. I have no doubt that that's still the case, and I don't think it's right to separate him from his work. Especially after how... _intrigued_ he was about the Influx."

Rasim stopped, his brow creasing as his gears churned his thoughts. "There was an Influx? Was it near here?"

"Yeah. Right on top of a refugee camp. Just a few people made it out, and they came here. Vadimas had them lead him back, though I don't think they appreciated it much."

Rasim crossed his arms and his expression changed, a disappointed frown overlapping his smile. "I personally could never get so worked up over them. Everyone knows there's nothing they can do to stop them. They can only hope they're not in the crosshairs of the next one. I respect the Emperor's and Serafino's attempts at finding ways to combat them, but there's just no way around the fact—it's hopeless to stop them."

His sudden aggression on the matter surprised Pathos. A great contrast to his normally lax demeanor, his agitation brought Pathos' opinion out. "Surely it's not _completely_ hopeless? With something as dangerous as the Influxes, you can't just expect people to sit back and accept the fact that they could be killed at any moment of any day!"

"I'm not saying they should! I'm merely remarking that it's meaningless to find ways to stop the Influxes... It's not like _I_ don't hope they magically go away, either! I just don't want to give myself some sort of false hope that I can _change_ the future..."

Rasim's attitude suddenly changed, and he beamed at Pathos. "But... I'm not going to make a huge deal out of it. Back to Vadimas, do you know what he's always so busy with?"

"No... He was gone for about a day once, said he had to go somewhere. I still never bothered to ask, and neither did Celestine. I guess he never really had a reason to tell me."

"Hm," Rasim responded as he onto his bed and began swinging his legs, his feet making a quiet thump as they hit the frame. "Pathos, when you and Celestine meet up again, how confident are you in your abilities to do your job at The Invictus?"

"Calling it confidence would be an overstatement. I'm not even sure, honestly. Maybe it's okay, but... I wish I was able to do more." Pathos scorned, tightening his muscles and clenching is teeth. "The mission we failed wasn't just our first mission—it was a _practice_ mission! Not even the real deal! And we blew it! I'm gonna need some _real_ encouragement if I'm going to start working again as soon as I find Celestine."

The Smeargle looked down, a sad motion swimming across his face, coming to rest at his eyes. "Ah... I suppose that would be the case, then. I suppose confidence is the least of your worries right now..." A sudden wisp of thoughtfulness sparked a quick movement, leading Rasim to leap off the bed.

He cleared his throat, resuming his conversation. "Anyway... what do you think about making our way back to Fort Securitas before we waste too much time? I believe we're done with what we came here for."

"Oh... right," the Absol responded, motioning for Rasim to set Vadimas' gift into his bag.

"Honestly, though... it'd be so much more convenient if all the different places out here had an easier way of connecting to other settlements. I mean, for the major ones, there's the Empire's system... but what about here?" Rasim frowned after he set the sack within Pathos' bag, causing the Absol some surprise at its heft. "Don't you think? It'd make everyone's lives just a little better. Just a random thought, sorry..."

"N-no, I understand. Walking was the worst part as a refugee. It seemed as if we only got a day or two of down time before we were up and about. Just makes me wonder if it's like this in other places of the Empire..."

Rasim slowly walked towards the door of their room, laying a paw on the latch. "A little bit... Not quite in this way, but yes, there are people trying to get away from the Influxes. If you're looking for safety and solitude... You're not going to find it very easily. There's a lot going on, and the Emperor is trying his best to get it all sorted out."

He tightened his paw around the latch's handle, undoing it, creaking the door open. The Smeargle's voice deepened, a grain of remorse giving it a chilling spice. "He's been trying for _years_. Things aren't going to settle down for a while."

'Then why not do what you can to make it easier, even in the slightest? That sounds like a fine idea to me, Rasim."

"Mm. Maybe so. I guess we'll just have to see in time. Let's go," the Smeargle said with the door open, bobbing his head towards it.

He and Rasim started out shortly after with relative ease, managing to return home a little earlier than they anticipated. Pathos reluctantly left Rasim behind at his house, while he strode off and returned to The Invictus.

The Absol stopped in the hub, intently staring at the flowing water at one of the various open areas in the ground, the soft crashing of the water soothing him. He made a mental note to visit Lake Dorothea soon.

Pathos stared for a few more minutes before breaking away and going back to his room. He'd thought about where he would need to look next for Celestine—or even if he should look at all. He was fresh out of ideas, though perhaps Rasim could help him come up with a plan.

He decided that he would visit Rasim again in the morning, to try and find a better way of going about his search.

* * *

Morning brought with it an interesting feeling, a certain eagerness that was rather unfamiliar to Pathos. After snacking on some food from his bag, he started for Rasim's house, but was surprised when Rasim was there to greet him in the lobby of The Invictus, managing a conversation with Iris at the time.

"Pathos, you never mentioned you'd been acquainted with Rasim! I wasn't even aware that he'd been here in Fort Securitas!" Iris exclaimed, hyper with the sudden resurgence of the Smeargle.

"W-well, at the time, I wasn't aware that he _was_ the court painter. Otherwise, yeah, I probably would have told you about it," Pathos retorted.

The Smeargle nodded at her, clutching the strap of his bag. "Well, it was nice to speak to you again, Iris. But I need to talk to Pathos. Could you also see if Serafino is available anytime soon, too? I'd like to speak with him again, too." he said, giving her a wave, and motioning for Pathos to stick by him.

"So, do you think you've prepped yourself enough?" Rasim questioned lightly.

"Um... What?" Pathos asked. He wasn't aware of anything he needed to be ready for.

Rasim shook his head, huffing, thumping his head. "Ah, right... Forget about that. I want you to follow me, I want to show you something."

Pathos squinted, his mind not able to connect the dots. "I... Yeah, I guess I can." He began to follow, but kept his head down, trying to figure out what was going on.

In a few minutes, they arrived at the teleportation room, which took Pathos two steps forward, but one step back. He'd anticipated Rasim leading him somewhere within the base, not _outside_.

Pathos looked at Rasim expectantly. "Rasim... what in the world do you have in mind?"

A smooth grin came to, and the Smeargle laughed. "Oh, you'll see. It took me a little bit to think it up, but I got an idea. It's a surprise, but I think you'll like it," he said, tempering Pathos' suspicion.

Rasim greeted the Beheeyem in the room, who also expressed surprise at his arrival. The Smeargle quickly whispered something to them, and they nodded their heads.

"What did you tell them?" Pathos asked, eyeing the two creatures as they floated towards the raised platform.

"I just let them know where we're heading, why we're going there." He sauntered to Pathos, raised an arm and hesitated before resting it on Pathos' back. "You know, the place we're heading to... While it took me a while to come up with what to do... I didn't have to give much thought into _where_ to go. I think it's got just the perfect charm for you." The Smeargle ruffled the fur on Pathos' head. "Best not to keep them waiting, wouldn't you say?"

The duo marched up the stairs, and situated in the middle of the platform. The Beheeyem repeated to them the same course of preparation Pathos heard the first time he was there. Pathos sighed, and then held his breath as he braced for teleportation.

And within moments, they were gone. Pathos still had to wait a few moments for his sanity to return from the mental jolt. He was a little frustrated he still wasn't able to brace himself for the sudden shift in location.

Finally, when his eyes agreed to cooperate again, he found himself in a checkpoint eerily similar to the one he and Celestine had used to return from their mission. There wasn't as much effort funneled into detail, however, as the room was very bland and unwelcoming, not to mention that the two teleporters didn't seem to bat an eye.

Pathos looked around, and located Rasim at the other end of the building, ushering Pathos to hurry up and follow him outside. As much as Pathos hated to admit, Rasim's excitement rubbed onto him, and now _he_ was raring to see just what it was the Smeargle demanded he see.

And yet, when he walked through those doors, he blinked, he wasn't quite sure he believed what he saw.

The perch upon which he found himself overlooked snaking mountains of layered sediment, all various sparkling shades of salmon, a few splatters of shrubbery adding beautiful accents. At the base of the spires, Pathos could see what appeared to be strings of white sand, harshly giving way to a sprawling canvas of mild green and patches of royal orange.

The pseudo-grassland birthed a number of outcrops very similar to those closer to Pathos, though not nearly as obvious. Right down the middle of the plains a river severed the land in two, slithering for Arceus knew how long. Just barely on the horizon, more sedimentary slopes reached for the sky, curving and trickling back towards the range Pathos stood on.

Pathos now brought his wide-open eyes back to himself. It wasn't very exciting where he was, at least in comparison to down below, with more burgundy and tan than there was green. Just behind the building an even taller ridge spiked, possibly connecting to another range of rugged hills unable to be seen.

After giving a double-take, even a triple-take, the Absol still wasn't quite sure any of this was real. It was like being in the mountains and overlooking the endless landscape filled to the brim with a majestic emerald. And yet, it was also significantly different, broadening Pathos' perspective on the world; that there was more to it than the limited view he'd been given.

Rasim instinctively inhaled the arid freshness of the air, letting it soak in. "Pathos, this is Precipice Plains. Somewhere in the middle-northern part of Prato della Vita, just south of the Empire's norther border. It's... a very secluded part of the Empire, but it's a worthy reward for those dedicated enough to seek lands as _gorgeous_ as this."

Rasim's eyes were usually very empty, but Pathos noticed at that moment that they contained a certain enjoyment he wasn't familiar with. "I may not be able to enjoy this properly anymore... But, Pathos, you... _you_ can. It's apparent that you long for something other than that damn desert, and I don't blame you. I figured that I could take you somewhere new. Somewhere familiar yet so drastically different from what you know."

Pathos was breathless. He kept opening his mouth to speak only to leave it agape and look around himself for the umpteenth time trying to comprehend what he was seeing. "R-Rasim, I—"

"It's fine, Pathos," Rasim managed to get out past some light chuckling, heading towards the ledge of the plateau. "You'll have plenty of time to take it all in, trust me. Why don't you follow me for a bit?"

The Smeargle showed Pathos down a gradient that curved off from their previous position, a thin path that could be seen to head right down into the edge of the grassland. As they neared closer, Pathos had to resist the urge to rush on ahead and leap into the field, to feel the short grass lick around his paws. But when they finally made it down, he hesitated just before the turf. He was suddenly unsure, debating the decision entirely. But Rasim pulled him forward, and it was as if he stepped into a whole new world.

The grass had a particular feel that was neither soft nor hard, giving him the slightest tickle, though it certainly wasn't unpleasant. It wasn't until now, when he was this far down, that he managed to fully appreciate the scale of the landscape, just how far it stretched past the horizon. Somehow, it felt even more vast than the desert. It almost overwhelmed him, the gravity of it.

Rasim turned, now walking backwards, as he inspected the massive structures they'd left behind. "I'd love to take you all the way to the Janus river, but I'd like to at least have _some_ daylight as we make our way back. So I'd say we should stop... here."

The team halted, and Rasim lowered the small sack that he'd brought along to the ground, and Pathos followed suit. The Smeargle began to say something, but Pathos was still too mesmerized by the landscape to care, preferring to direct his attention to it instead of Rasim.

The painter sighed, and clapped, finally catching Pathos' attention. "So... What do you think? Isn't it a magnificent change from what you've grown to know?"

"I... I'm not sure what to think. This is so surreal, like some sort of dream." A faint smile lit up his face, and he made yet another three-sixty. "But... I still don't get why you've brought me here. Surely it wasn't just to show this place off?"

"You're right," Rasim replied, walking over to Pathos, his hands tangled behind his back. "Yesterday, after I asked you about your confidence, I spent some time thinking... What could I do to help? I came up with a plan, but... I wasn't too sure about how I'd introduce it to you, but..." A jittery paw made its way to Rasim's face. "Pathos, I want to help you, to make sure you can do your job. I don't want you to fail again. I want to teach you how to be that much better."

The Smeargle rested his paws on his knees, and bent over for a second, then sat on the ground, sighing as he rubbed the grass. "I know you want to be able to protect Celestine, to do your part. But... until you can be confident with what you can do, I don't think that's possible. I want to help raise your confidence, maybe even help you grow stronger, more ready for the challenges you'll face when doing missions for The Invictus."

"W-well, yeah! That sounds great, but... how? I can fight, I can help out... what more is there to know?" Pathos questioned, also taking a seat on the grass.

Rasim leaned back, using his arms to leverage himself. "You need to be able to mentally prepare yourself, and you have to be ready to make changes to your plans as you go forward. And not only fighting. I just think you could use some tutoring, is all. You don't need to spend your time with me training you, but I think I could really help you out. What do you think?"

"I mean... it couldn't _hurt..._ And I guess it would give me something to do." Pathos looked past Rasim, locking on to a distant formation. "...You're sure this will help me?"

The Smeargle bobbed his head, thrusting himself to his feet."I'll try not to waste your time, and if you don't like it, that's fine. I just figure you should give it a shot. I'm more than willing to give my fair share of input."

Pathos sucked in his cheeks and tilted his head, letting the offer swirl around in his mind. For what it was worth, he wouldn't mind obtaining some more knowledge that could be used on missions. It could help him take some weight off of Celestine's mind. Perhaps Rasim was right—maybe it really could help him believe in his capabilities, too.

"Yeah, I'll give it a shot," Pathos eventually answered after some time. "I'm... not sure exactly what this will be like, but I'll humor you."

Rasim clapped and rubbed his paws together and said, "Rightyo! It's on short notice, but I hope you don't mind if we start right away? It's better to not waste time. I do want to get home before dark. More for your sake than mine." The Smeargle started to rise, but stopped halfway. "Pathos, have you ever been in a dungeon?"

"Yeah, _twice_. Neither time was enjoyable. As a matter of fact, my first mission? The one me and Celestine failed terribly? Yeah, that was a dungeon mission." Pathos snarled, and shook his head. "The unpredictability, the danger... It's unbelievable. And yet we were expected to _succeed_? I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. I don't get how anyone's able to deal with them."

"O-oh, I see..." Rasim shamefully responded, backing away, but he straightened out shortly. "It's almost a guarantee that you'll be sent on more missions like those, though. Wouldn't you like to be able to put up with them, even if just a tiny bit better? Does that not sound nice?"

"N-no, it sounds great! I just can't grasp how they could have expected us to do well... the place was nightmarish! Pitfalls everywhere, fog like you would not _believe_ , and I even got thrown off the edge at one point!" Pathos stopped as he noticed Rasim's face swirl, confusion and wonder making Pathos backtrack. "Um... Celestine managed to save me... somehow. I... didn't really pay attention, and before I knew it, I was back on the path."

The Absol rolled his head around, and looked away. "Anyways... yeah. I wouldn't mind that. It's just... how and where the hell do we start?"

Rasim bit his lip and swung to his feet, placing a digit on his chin, and he spun a bit before stopping. "How about something easy? Would you be interested in expanding your abilities?"

The Absol scrunched his face, and pushed out one of his cheeks, slowly letting air seep through the corners of his mouth. "What do you mean?"

"Like... how would you say..." Rasim responded, attempting to find a good example. "Maybe I can instruct you on how to better engage in combat? Or maybe you can figure out alternative ways an attack can be used, which could easily benefit you in a tight situation?"

"Huh... that doesn't sound _terrible_ , but... I can't really do that if there's nothing for me to _fight_ ," Pathos mentioned, letting his head rock to the left.

"Not exactly..." A few seconds of concentration were drawn onto Rasim's face, and a faint, ghastly caricature of the Smeargle materialized beside him. Pathos and to blink a few times, and shake his head to understand what he was seeing.

Pathos curiously approached the afterimage, and he was surprised to find that it was rather tangible. "...What even is this?"

"A target," was the answer he got. "It's good for a few hits, and it's better than attacking someone. I can't do much better, but I hope it works."

"Okay..." the Absol started, backing away. "So what am I supposed to do?"

Rasim set one paw on his hip, and extended his other out towards the substitute, taking a few steps away. "Attack."

"Alright..." Pathos said, hunkering down, preparing to attack. Without lifting his eyes from the faded representation of Rasim, he focused on gathering energy in his scythe. He ran through his mind how he would strike, and where. He contemplated, then lunged, leaping into the air, sawing his blade through the left side of its torso at an angle. The substitute swirled and swooshed into the air, then reshaped itself into a slightly different form as Pathos landed and spun around.

Pathos quickly glanced at Rasim, expecting a look of approval. But instead, there was a hint of scorn blended with neutrality, accompanied by a mild shake of his head.

The Smeargle noticed the disappointment on Pathos face and quickly walked over and said, "S-sorry if I seemed displeased. You did well. Your Night Slash is effective, don't worry." His expression hardened, and he knelt down. "But you can do better. You attacked in a way that could easily allow for a blow to come from above or below. It's also easy to dodge and counterswing against. The way you jumped can work, but it's better to jump in a way that allows for you to contort your body in the air. That ability comes in handy more than you would think."

Pathos' forelegs went slack, and he leaned his head back, exhaling a groan. "How can a simple attack be so in-depth?"

"It's not that it's super complicated. You need to learn how to read your opponent, Pathos. Change your methods based on how they act. Attacking the same way every time will only get you so far. Yes, dungeons' have ferals. But you know what? They're not always going to be 'feral'. You _will_ encounter those that know how to fight." Rasim gripped Pathos' shoulders. "If you're not prepared for it, you _will_ fail."

"You can't honestly expect me to get how to do that by attacking a dummy!" Pathos said back.

Rasim shook his head, waving his arm to dissipate his substitute. "Yeah, you're right." The Smeargle rested his paws on his knees to help leverage himself to his knees. "That's why you'll be fighting _me_."

Pathos scoffed, though his face displayed his worry. "Rasim... isn't that—"

"Dangerous?" Rasim interrupted, "Yes, it is. But is it anywhere near as dangerous weaving your way through dungeon hallways, praying that you don't encounter any trouble?" Pathos opened his mouth to answer, but Rasim didn't give him the chance. "No? Then _fight me_."

Rasim dropped into a stance, his tail slowly whipping back and forth. Pathos followed suit, but with far less enthusiasm.

"Hey, Rasim, don't you think you could at least take a little bit more time to—" Pathos began, halting his words to dodge the Smeargle suddenly launching forward and swinging his tail ferociously.

"Arceus, Rasim, calm it, will you?" Pathos managed to say before having to dodge again.

To his surprise, Rasim actually stopped, but he did not drop his form. "Perhaps I should repeat myself. _Fight_. _Me_."

Pathos exhaled through clenched teeth, his breath carrying his frustration. Pathos didn't want to fight him—but did he even have a choice?

So he waited. He waited for Rasim to make his move, since Pathos figured he likely wouldn't have much of a chance on the offensive.

But he was caught off guard when the Smeargle spawned a disconcerting stream of yellow-orange fire, forcing Pathos to move to the side. Rasim waggled his tail, commanding a blob of water to condense from the air above them, drenching their surrounding, and forcing Pathos to halt his movement.

Pathos had gotten the hint that he simply couldn't wait it out—he needed to engage, even if he was at a disadvantage. So the Absol kept evading Rasim's attacks until a noticeable pause appeared, and Pathos rushed to the opportunity.

He charged in, gathering energy around his scythe. He first swung his blade vertically to let loose a Psycho Cut to hopefully break up anything the Smeargle had planned. He then prepared to jump—at least he made it seem that way.

Rasim fell for Pathos' fake-out, as he prepared himself to counter the leap. But surprise had hit Rasim hard when Pathos, instead of vaulting, sidestepped to the left so he could slash the front of his body—but Pathos stopped just before he hit the now vulnerable Smeargle.

Pathos wasn't aware he had been holding his breath until he heard Rasim let out his own breath. The Absol exhaled, and his ears were met with a hearty laugh from Rasim, who flopped back onto the grass, a bright grin garnering most of Pathos' attention.

"You had me, Pathos. I... hadn't anticipated that. That was phenomenal, Pathos. _Exactly_ what you'd been told to do. You not only managed to fool me, but you also read my attempt at counterattacking, and used it to your advantage." He swung himself to his feet, and looked at Pathos. "If you ask me, you did _perfectly_."

Pathos _wanted_ to be upset that Rasim had so suddenly insisted on fighting, but he couldn't overrun the joy he was feeling. He _was_ right—Pathos had done it right! He hadn't even noticed during his attack.

"I'm not sure you noticed, but I proceeded to attack you from a distance because you _had_ to engage. Your opponent isn't always going to be the one to attack first. You're going to have to get your paws dirty, that's just a fact. So you have to be able to do just that, otherwise the battle isn't going to go your way." Rasim huffed, the adrenaline in his blood now at a standstill. "Do you get it now? Why it's important for you to have adaptability?"

"I... I suppose so..." Pathos said, his mind drawing a blank when searching for more of a response. He sat down next to Rasim, letting out a relieving bubble of air. "So... what next?

"Well, it wouldn't be _terrible_ if we continued, and did a little more... But I think for a first day, you've done fine." Rasim's smile was accompanied by a small shake of his head. "Not to mention you really weren't properly prepared for any of this. Hell, _I_ didn't even bring anything! I'm not going to do that to you. Why don't you take a small rest, and then we'll make our way back?"

Pathos enthusiastically nodded, hist attitude completely changed from earlier. "Yeah, that sounds great."

The two enjoyed some down time, with Pathos occasionally standing up and looking around before sitting down again, and Rasim's casual whistling bringing a calming mood over them. After a few minutes, Rasim called out to Pathos, and they began walking back towards the mountain.

"Hey, Rasim," Pathos muttered as they closed in on the slope, "You mentioned earlier I wasn't fully prepared. Was that aimed towards me not understanding why all that stuff was so important?"

Rasim whirred, smacked his lips, and faced Pathos. "Well... you're half-right. It's not just having the right mindset that makes a difference." Rasim tapped a finger to his temple, and then his chest. "You also have to be ready for the strain you'll be putting on your mind and body. It's imperative that you can effectively get yourself prepared."

The Smeargle's eyebrows enunciated the sudden emergence of something in his mind. "Why do you think psychics have to be in such a good condition mentally? It's a natural ability they have to be able to extend their mind to affect the physical world, on top of already dealing with whatever goes through their head normally; their mind is constantly under pressure greater than most others, and as a result, they usually get exhausted more easily."

Pathos was intrigued. He'd always just accepted that psychics were simply better at mental tasks, but it never crossed his mind to think about how that would affect them in the long run. _More mental strain..._ _could that be part of the reason she was so stressed out...?_ Pathos entertained the thought for a bit.

"So, maybe it's not as important to you that you be ready, but when it comes around and bites you, you'll have no one to blame but yourself." Rasim stopped the conversation for a bit, then continued a little while later. "But um... How much later would you like to meet up tomorrow? I'd like to give you more time to get ready than I did this morning. I figure that'd be more convenient for you?"

"O-oh..." Pathos said, retracting from his thoughts and returning to real life. "Well... maybe sometime in the afternoon? That way, if I'm feeling it, we can still head out earlier."

"Flexibility, I see..." the Smeargle noted as he mentally jotted that down for later. "That sounds good to me. For now, let's focus on heading back, alright?"

The two casually scaled the slope leading to the checkpoint, where they were zipped back to The Invictus. From there, Rasim led Pathos back to his home to surprise him with a well-earned meal.

"I _thought_ I had more to offer than this, but I guess I had remembered wrong... in any case, I really hope it attends to your tastes," the artist said as he gestured to to food he had set on a table—all for Pathos.

The selection, despite its lack in size, was still rather vast by Pathos' standards; there was meat of some sort, vegetables he'd never seen in his life, some delicious looking berries, and even a few pastries! For the umpteenth time, Rasim's generosity had left the Absol speechless, barely able to utter even the smallest of thanks. "Rasim... you really don't have to keep doing this for me..."

"But I _will_. Pathos, you can't keep being so modest. You're not used to being so welcomed, that's fine..." Rasim placed a nonchalant paw on Pathos' back, making him wince slightly. "But isn't that a good thing? It just means you're more able to appreciate the gratitude you _do_ receive."

Pathos bobbed his head, eyeing the pastries. It was a little difficult for Pathos, because ever since Celestine had left, he'd been depending on Rasim so _much_. It didn't feel _right_. First it was Celestine, and now Rasim...

"Sorry... I just... Celestine was completely selfless, and... she was always taking care of the big _and_ little things for me..." He looked at the food again—but this time, he completely shoved it out of his mind, locking his eyes on Rasim. "But now... I just don't feel right taking so much away from you, and—"

Rasim marched over and brought Pathos into his arms. The Smeargle held the motionless Absol in the embrace for a few moments, then pushed away, keeping his paws firmly on Pathos. "You're not taking _anything_ away from me. I'm _giving_ you these things, by my own volition because you _deserve_ them. You came to me in a time of need. As such, I give you things to help you out."

Rasim let go of Pathos and walked over to a painting on the wall to straighten it. "You never asked for these things, because you don't feel anyone owes it to you. But... since I met you, my life's gotten livelier, _better_. I don't often get the chance to talk to people, but you... You've _given_ me that chance. I'm _finally_ doing something with my life other than painting. I have things to do in my down time, I don't _have_ to rely on painting to bide my time."

He sighed, and trotted to a chair beside the table, and he sat down, stretching slightly. "So, allow me to repeat myself—don't be so modest. If someone is giving something to you, accept it! You'd be amazed at how much people really care about you, Pathos." Rasim rested his elbows on the table, setting his head in his paws. "I get it—you're not used to people being so friendly. You're used to them having an unfounded vendetta against your species for whatever reason. But for Arceus' sake... don't take for granted the people that care about you."

Pathos sat down, closing his eyes as he dropped his head. "I just..."

Rasim shook his head, standing up and moving to his side, comforting him by patting his back. "It's fine." Rasim ruffled the fur on his head and gestured to the table. "Why not go ahead and feed yourself before it goes stale?"

Pathos calmed himself and nodded, his eyes just a tad watery. "Yeah. Thanks, Rasim." Rasim moved away, letting the Absol get to his feet and approach the table. But he stopped, and looked back. "I... really, thanks. It's nice to have someone that feels like family."

Rasim's face conveyed acceptance of the compliment, but then it was overflowing with curiosity. "Do you... not have a family?"

"Well... I do. Um.. did." Pathos rolled his eyes and sulked, fully facing Rasim in the process. "Honestly, I don't know. We were in a refugee camp... there was an Influx, and..."

Rasim's expression went blank. "...You lost them... Right?" Pathos nodded.

He exhaled through loose lips, leaning back. "I... I'm sorry, Pathos," he said with a large amount of guilt in his voice. "Do you want to talk about it, or...?"

Pathos' posture had tightened, but he did his best to shrug it away. "It's not that big of a deal. I've gotten over it. But... thanks for your concern."

"It's not a big deal. Just don't be afraid to bring anything up to me," Rasim said as Pathos finally went after the food.

There wasn't much activity between the two proceeding their conversation, and Pathos headed home shortly. He was dead tired, and ready to collapse on his bed as soon as possible. Rasim had helped improve his mood greatly, and he'd been able to fully appreciate his company. To think, he made Rasim's life so much better! It was an extremely enlightening thought.

Pathos got to his room and hopped on his bed, and stared down the moonlight streaming into his room. He was entranced by it, and fell asleep not a moment later.

* * *

Morning arrived quickly, Pathos found, because it felt like mere minutes after he'd fallen asleep, the sunlight was pushing through his eyelids, urging him to get up.

He had to rub his eyes and blink a few times before he could keep his eyes open enough to get out of bed without running into anything. He spotted his bag against the wall a few feet away, and he fetched it, slinging it over his neck, the sudden weight of the bag reminding him of the money Vadimas had given him. He then checked around the rooms to see if there was anything else, before he sighed, and headed for the door.

By the time he was about halfway down the hall to the hub of the base, he didn't quite feel like heading over to Rasim's quite yet. And besides, their planned time was in the afternoon. He had plenty of time to waste before then—he just had to decide how he was going to spend it.

He could go have a conversation with Maea, or maybe he could go talk to Iris about Rasim. He could use some of his cash to buy some items, too... But he eventually decided on walking around, since he hadn't made himself too familiar with the layout of the base.

The obnoxious crowd that was there the first day Pathos was there had shrunk in size, much to his relief. The Absol glanced down all the various corridors he came across; the ones connected to the scaffolds and ladders only lead the team and guest rooms, he'd assumed, so he avoided those. Instead, he voted for the corridors on the ground floor. And, without putting much thought into it, he decided against all the unfamiliar ones, and headed down the main hall.

Most of the rooms and hallways that sprouted from the main corridor didn't give a nice vibe to Pathos, except one in particular—the mission room.

There weren't many people there that day—just a few teams. The Snover from before, Edur, was also on duty that morning—he was talking to a few people at the moment.

Pathos eyed the mission board. He'd never really had the chance to give it a good look, so he was rather curious what the layout was like.

So he walked over, and was a little let down when he found out just how simple it was. There were a few categories, like local missions and long-distance missions, along with some that labelled just what the teams would be doing. Pathos honed in on the category named "Rescue", reminding him of the first mission he and Celestine had to do. Did his lack of confidence have anything to do with the outcome of the missions?

Regardless, he glanced at all the different posters that hanged from the board. So many different statements and descriptions, all with their own messages from the clients... it was a very confusing system. The Absol locked onto a mission, curious. He glanced at the message left by the client, which read:

 _Please help... I ran off, and... I was frustrated. I didn't realize what I'd gotten myself into until it was too late.  
_ _Now I'm lost in a dungeon with no way to tell where to go. I'm low on resources, and I'm not sure how much longer I'll last...  
_

The message left by Panni felt much the same, the plea, the desire to just go home. Why did they have to fail the mission...? Did her family ever find out about what happened? If not, will they _ever_ find out? Pathos still wasn't sure if he'd be confident enough to take another mission after that.

Pathos read on to the next line, and when he read the client's name, he felt confused. He stared for a moment, then rubbed his eyes, expecting to have misread. But he looked again, and his heart froze. Right there, scattered amongst the thousands of different words and messages and various job details, there were three words that made him drop to the floor.

 _Client identification: Celestine._

* * *

 **End of Chapter X**


End file.
